Chapter 2 - Betrayal
The day of the Christmas dance swiftly approached, and eventually, it was the Friday before it. Things between Will and Buffy were still slightly strained, but he was making a conscious effort to pay more attention to his girlfriend and to act like he had before he met Drusilla. Buffy was thankful that he seemed to be one hundred percent devoted to her again, and her doubting thoughts dissipated for the most part.
‘He’s mine- no one else’s,’ she thought as she walked to Chemistry with Willow. ‘He loves me, I love him, and we’re going to the dance together. Everything’s perfectly fine, Summers. Stop second-guessing your relationship so much.’
Buffy sat on the stool beside Drusilla at their table while Willow went to sit with her lab partner Tara. The conversations between Buffy and Dru were fewer and far between over the last couple of weeks, which only served to make Buffy even more uncomfortable around the British girl. When the awkward silence became too tense to handle, Buffy took a deep breath and looked at her partner.
“So, are you going to the dance tomorrow?” she asked, trying to start a conversation.
“Yeah,” Drusilla answered, reading something in her textbook. “And I assume you’re going with Will.” Buffy nodded, watching their teacher walk into the room. “Such a lucky girl you are to have found someone like William.” Buffy raised an eyebrow and looked at her. Drusilla closed her book and looked at Buffy.
“Yes…I’m very lucky,” Buffy agreed, finding Dru’s intense gaze slightly unsettling. She quickly looked down at the tabletop. “Are you going with someone?”
“No,” Drusilla answered, shrugging. “But I’m sure there’s someone I can dance with.” Buffy noticed the other girl laugh softly, causing her to once again look at Drusilla, who was smirking at her. Buffy realized that Drusilla was implying something but chose to overlook it.
“Yeah, I’m sure there will be a couple of single guys there looking for girls to dance with,” Buffy said quietly.
“If they’re single or not, I’m sure I’ll still have a good time,” Drusilla said. Buffy stared at the brunette and began to feel nauseous. She was about to make a comment when their teacher started class.
‘If she even so much as looks at William tomorrow night, I’ll kill her,’ Buffy thought, scowling before looking at her teacher.
* * * * *
The next day, Buffy, Willow, and Cordelia spent the afternoon getting ready for the dance. After the sun went down, the boys showed up at Cordelia’s house, waiting for their dates to finish. Buffy looked at her white silk dress in the mirror and took a deep breath.
“You look fabulous, Buffy,” Willow said, adjusting her hunter green strapless dress. Cordelia nodded in agreement as she straightened out her silver, sequined gown. “Ready to go see our boys?” The girls left Cordy’s room and proceeded down the stairs, looking at their three dates dressed in tuxes. William smiled at Buffy, looking at her dress and admiring how beautiful she was, especially with her hair pulled up into curls.
‘She always looks bloody breathtaking,’ he thought as Buffy came to stand in front of him. Wrapping his arms around her, Will pulled her to him for a gentle kiss.
“Do I look okay?” she asked quietly. He nodded, smirking, and leaned down to her ear.
“You look good enough to eat, princess,” he whispered, causing her to giggle. “Come on, can’t keep the limo waiting.” The three girls all exchanged shocked looks.
“We have a limo?” Willow asked, looking at Oz. He nodded, leading her outside. All of the girls stared at the long black vehicle in Cordelia’s driveway.
“Who did this?” Buffy asked William, staring at the car as he smiled.
“I did,” he shrugged. She looked at him in disbelief. “Nothing but the best for my girl.” She grinned and hugged him. “Do you like it?”
“It’s perfect,” she said, looking up at him. “I love you.”
His hand grazed her cheek before kissing her again. “I love you, too,” he said quietly, looking into her eyes. She smiled and allowed him to help her into the limo before he sat beside her and closed the door. All of the couples were buzzing with excitement, and in Buffy’s opinion, everything was perfect. Her thoughts flickered back to the conversation she had with Drusilla the day before and tensed up. William noticed and frowned. “What is it, luv?”
Looking at him and managing a smile, Buffy shook her head. “Nothing,” she answered, leaning into his side while he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Absolutely nothing.”
But despite her words, Buffy was still scared that something was going to happen that night.
‘Everything could change tonight,’ she said to herself before trying to push her thoughts aside. ‘But I won’t let it.’
* * * * *
The three couples walked into Sunnydale High’s gym and were surprised at how nicely it was decorated. Buffy linked her arm with William’s as they followed Willow and Oz to a table. Riley and Sam were already there, seated and waiting for their friends. William pulled Buffy’s chair out for her and sat her down before grabbing a seat and sitting next to her. He took her hand in his and kissed it, smiling at her.
“Did I tell you how ravishing you look tonight?” he asked. She smiled, slightly blushing.
“I don’t believe you used the word ‘ravishing’ before, so no,” she answered playfully. “But feel free to keep saying it.” He chuckled and kissed her temple before looking around the gym. Buffy did the same thing, noticing how beautiful everyone looked. When she saw a familiar face in the crowd, she stiffened again.
Drusilla was in a long crimson dress, talking with several of her friends by the snack table.
‘She looks beautiful,’ both Buffy and William thought, looking at her. Buffy restrained herself from growling while William withheld a broad smile. Looking at him and noticed the admiring look in his eyes, she frowned and looked at Drusilla again, seeing that she and her boyfriend had locked eyes. This time, she clearly saw the wink Drusilla aimed towards William, and Buffy stood up, her fists clenched.
'This ends tonight,' she thought sternly.
Walking toward the refreshment table without another word to any of her
friends, Buffy busied herself with grabbing a glass of punch before turning
to face the other girl. She didn’t bother to hide the contempt on her
features.
“Drusilla?”
“Yes,” the brunette replied in a haughty voice, turning to face Buffy.
“I just thought I’d give you fair warning…stay the hell away from my
boyfriend.”
“Don’t have much trust in wee little William?”
Shooting a glance back at her friends, she saw William approaching and
narrowed her eyes at the other girl. “I don’t trust a girl who I thought
was my friend, considering she seems to have some kind of alternate agenda.”
“A girl like you should have more confidence in her relationship,” Dru
snidely replied.
“Everything alright?” William asked, trying to keep his gaze on his
girlfriend and failing miserably.
“It seems that your girlfriend feels threatened by me.”
William visibly cringed, something that did not go unnoticed by Buffy.
“Should I be?” she asked in a low voice, turning away from Drusilla so she
couldn’t overhear their conversation.
“I…I love you,” he emphasized.
Buffy tried to ignore the unconvincing tone and focused on his words as she
took his arm and led him away, not giving Drusilla another look.
“What was that about, Buffy?”
“I don’t like it, Will,” she whispered in a miserable tone that nearly broke
his heart. “I don’t like the looks and the gestures and the innuendo.”
“I-I’m sorry I’ve been doing that.”
Turning toward him with a shocked look on her face, Buffy fought the tears
in her eyes as her hold tightened on the flimsy plastic cup, cracking it and
sending the bright red liquid pouring onto the floor. “I didn’t say it was
you doing it.”
Without another word, Buffy practically ran from the gym, leaving her
shocked boyfriend standing behind her. He vaguely noticed Willow and
Cordelia following Buffy and was about to head after them when he felt a
hand on his arm.
“I didn’t mean to cause trouble,” Drusilla said in a soft voice, her eyes
wide and seemingly innocent.
“Yeah, I know…I know,” William said with a nod.
“Would you like to dance?”
‘This is wrong, this is wrong, this is wrong…you love Buffy…you’ve always
loved Buffy, there’s never been anyone else…’
* * * * *
Seeing her friends walk into the bathroom, Buffy frantically wiped her eyes,
looking at her reflection in the mirror and seeing the miserable girl
staring back at her.
“What happened?” Willow asked softly while Cordy set to work, fixing her
make-up and lending a sympathetic ear.
“I don’t know,” Buffy replied in a painful whisper. "The past couple of
weeks I’ve just…I’ve noticed some things. And tonight I saw Dru wink at
William, and when I was talking to him about it…he made it sound like the affection
wasn’t just a one-way street.”
“Do you think he’s cheating on you?” Cordy asked, stepping back to look at
her in concern.
“Ten minutes ago, I would have said ‘not a chance’, but now…God, I love him
so much, and it feels like my heart is being ripped out.”
“He loves you, Buffy,” Willow said, rubbing her friend's back in reassurance.
“You’ve been together a really long time- maybe this is just a rough spot
that you have to get through, and your relationship will be stronger because
of it.”
“Maybe,” Buffy said with a sniffle, looking at her newly put-together self
in the mirror. Cordy was a miracle worker when it came to covering up
puffy eyes. Of course they were still bloodshot, but the lighting in the
gym should cover that. “I think I’m ready to go back out there,” she
mumbled, trying to get her stomach to relax. It ignored her and continued
tying itself into anxious knots, the tension flowing through her body.
With her friends on each side of her, offering their support, they slowly
walked back to the gym.
Stepping through the door, Buffy was shocked that she didn’t throw up.
There was her boyfriend with his arms around another girl. And not only
another girl, but the one that Buffy felt threatened by in every way.
“Maybe we should go,” Willow said nervously, tugging Buffy’s arm to try and
get her to leave before she did something she’d regret. But there was
nothing Buffy was planning on regretting as anger clouded her vision. In a
red haze, she walked toward the cozy couple, crossing her arms over her
chest and staring at them for a moment before William saw her and guiltily
jumped away.
Buffy didn’t notice that the entire gym seemed to get quiet. Couples
stopped dancing and turned to stare at the ‘golden couple’ of the high
school in what was clearly going to be the gossip event of the year.
“So…I shouldn’t be worried?”
William’s eyes widened at the contempt in Buffy’s voice. Taking a step
forward, he hesitantly reached a hand out to his girlfriend. “Listen, luv-“
“Don’t,” Buffy said, cutting him off with venom in her voice as she took a
step away from him. “Don’t you dare call me ‘luv’. What’s going on, Will?”
Nervously glancing around the gym, William took a deep breath. “I don’t
think we should do this here.”
“Oh, I think this is the perfect place to do this,” Buffy countered, keeping
her anger close to the surface to mask the hurt and betrayal she was
feeling. “Are you trying to tell me it’s over?”
“Buffy, I love you, but…”
“But,” she prompted, feeling her heart shattering.
“I don’t think this is working out.”
A loud crack echoed through the silent gym as Buffy’s hand made contact with
William’s cheek. The momentum threw his head to the side, and Buffy watched
with a clenched jaw as he slowly turned to face her, a red handprint already
evident on his skin. Resisting the urge to bring his hand up to his face,
Will watched as Buffy tried to hide the trembling of her chin.
Taking a deep, shaky breath before turning to Drusilla, Buffy slammed a
solid punch into the other girl’s eye, sending her screaming to the floor.
Shaking her hand to try and dull the pain, the blonde turned and quickly
left the gym with a concerned Willow chasing after her.
The entire school watched as the most popular guy in school turned to the
brunette and helped her to her feet.
Feeling a tap on his shoulder, William turned around and immediately doubled
over in pain as Cordelia Chase’s knee came in contact with his groin.
“That’s for my friend, jackass,” she said before spinning on her heel and
following her friends.
* * * * *
Buffy burst through the doors of the high school, letting the cold air hit
her face and attempt to soothe her as she broke down in tears. Feeling
comforting arms wrap around her, Buffy could tell it was Willow without even
looking. Turning toward the redhead, she began sobbing when she heard the
door open and saw Oz and Cordelia run out.
Cordy quickly wrapped her arms around both girls as Oz went to get his van
that he’d left in the parking lot earlier that day.
“What can we do, Buffy?” Willow asked softly, stroking her friend’s hair.
“Just take me home,” she whispered between sobs. “I just want to go home.”
[Reviews - 505]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | 
Chapter or Story
Has been viewed 5819 times
- Text Size +
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | Chapter or Story - Text Size +