𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒍

The Bronze is pulsing with life. Xander walks in before me, pushing past people dancing with one another. Many scowl at him, most likely angry that he's interrupting their fun, but some ignore him. I follow close behind, not wanting to get lost in the swarm. A girl screams from nearby. They just fumigated the place, so I knew there had to be all sorts of bugs scattering about.

Xander stops in the middle of the dance floor and proceeds to make a fool of himself. His dance moves were not even close to subpar, but I move along with him. He spins me around, laughter spilling from me when I almost topple over. He catches me and pulls me close, and I'm lost in his eyes as the band onstage sings some forgotten love song.

A girl bumps into me, and I turn my head, scowling. I recognize her from the English class. Xander smiles at her. "Hey, Annie!" He then spots her boyfriend and gulps. "Dino, just leaving!"

He takes my hand, and we back away. He collides with a certain someone that causes me to roll my eyes.

"Ouch! Please get your extreme oafishness off my two hundred dollar shoes!" Cordelia's shrill voice rings in my ears.

Xander is quick to apologize. "I'm sorry, I was just..."

"Getting off the dance floor before Annie Vega's boyfriend squashes you like a bug?"

I cut in. "More like we're trying our hardest to get away from the most disgusting insect of all." I give her a pointed look.

Cordelia crosses her arms over her chest. "Uh-huh."

Xander nods. "Yeah, thanks for being so understanding."

"It's a bad infestation, you know." I smile at her.

"Sure." She crinkles her nose at me, narrowing her eyes.

Xander must have noticed her glare towards me because he doesn't hold back. "Hey, I don't know what everyone's talking about. That outfit doesn't make you look like a hooker!"

She scowls, and we leave the dance floor, hand in hand, laughing at his statement. I spot Buffy and Willow and tell him where their table is. He nods, and we walk over to them.

Their conversation is stopped short when Xander speaks up. "Boy, that Cordelia is a regular breath of vile air. What are you vixens up to?"

Willow rests her chin on her palm. "Just sitting here, watching our barren lives pass us by." She sees a roach out of her peripheral. "Oh, look, a cockroach." She stomps it quickly, the bug's exoskeleton making a sickening crunch under her shoe.

Xander laughs. "Whoa, well, let's stop this crazy whirligig of fun! I'm dizzy!"

Buffy looks forlorn. She locks eyes with us before standing. "Alright, now I'm infecting those nearest and dear to me. I'm gonna call it a night."

"Oh, don't go!" Willow pleads.

"Yeah, Buffy, it's not midnight yet!" I add. "We haven't even crashed the party!" I gesture over to the dance floor.

"Rain check? Good night." With that, the blonde grabs her jacket and leaves.

Xander lets out a breath, and I purse my lips, deep in thought. I hope she's okay. She hasn't been herself lately.

Willow holds up her shoe, showing the squashed bug. "Want a free drink?"

Xander and I nod. "Sure, why not." We make our way over to the bar. I decide to order a Coke, not wanting a drop of alcohol in my system, and my friends do the same. We make our way back to the table.

"What were you guys talking about earlier?" I ask Willow. "Buffy seemed pretty upset."

"That guy, Angel," Willow admits with a sigh. "I think she likes him."

"Likes him as in she likes his hair, or likes him as in..." Xander realizes his foolish question before he even finishes talking. I look over at him with a smile. He was so clueless sometimes, but it was adorable.

Willow continues to tell me about what Buffy told her, and Xander, obviously uncomfortable with the topic, stands. "I'm going to get another drink."

I gesture to his glass. "But you've barely drunk anything—"

"I'll be back, Katy." He squeezes my hand before walking over to the bar.

Willow turns to me. Her eyes are wide. "Have you told him yet?"

I shake my head. "Willow, I don't think right now is the time."

"Katy, he likes you!"

"He said it, but I don't know. He was possessed..."

She shakes her head. "He likes you. I've seen the way he looks at you. You guys are practically glued together!"

"Willow, the end of the world is at stake here." I take a sip of my drink. "I need to be focused on helping Buffy stop the Masters' plans."

"She has time for a guy that she likes, so why can't you?"

I'm at a loss for words. She was right. "I just—"

"Guess who's back with a refill!" Xander sits back down beside me, and noticing the tension in the air, he speaks. "Uh, what are you ladies going on about?"

"Nothing." I'm quick to answer. At the same time, Willow says, "girly stuff."

"Oh, right." He laughs a little to himself. "I'm not a girl, so I don't know a lot of stuff. But I do know what a period is—"

"Enough talking, Xan."

♱ ♱ ♱

The next day, Willow, Xander, and I are all sitting in the library, listening intently as the blonde spills the details of what happened between her and Angel the night before.

Xander's eyes are wide. "He spent the night? In your room? In your bed?"

Buffy shakes her head. "Not in my bed, by my bed."

"That is so romantic!" Willow clasps her hands together dreamily but then looks to be in thought. "Did you, uh... I mean, did he, uh..."

I knew Willow was bashful when it came to talking about anything and everything involving sex, so I help her out. "Did he come onto you?"

Buffy dismisses my statement, smiling. "No. Perfect gentleman."

Us girls exchange smiles. Xander, on the other hand, doesn't seem convinced. "Buffy, c'mon, wake up and smell the seduction. It's the oldest trick in the book."

She furrows her brows. "What? Saving my life? Getting slashed in the ribs?"

"Duh! I mean, guys do anything to impress a girl. I once drank an entire gallon of Gatorade without taking a breath." He looks at me pointedly and grins.

I roll my eyes, remembering when he downed that entire bottle in third grade without a second thought. He did it because I thought he was a scaredy-cat. He proved me wrong.

Willow nods her head, eyeing the both of us. "It was pretty impressive. Although later there was an ick factor."

Giles comes over to the table. "Can we steer this riveting conversation back to the events that happened earlier in the evening? Buffy sits down across from us. "You left the Bronze and were set upon by three unusually virile vampires. Did they look like this?"

He puts a dusty looking book in front of her, open to a certain page. "Yeah. What's with the uniforms?"

"It seems you encountered the Three," Giles informs. "Warrior vampires, very proud and very strong."

Willow looks over at the librarian. "How is it you always know this stuff? You always know what's going on. I never know what's going on."

Giles wipes at his glasses. "Well, you weren't here from midnight until six researching it."

"No, I was sleeping."

"We were all sleeping, Will," I added, patting her shoulder.

Giles turns his attention to Buffy. "Uh, obviously you're hurting the Master very much. He wouldn't send the Three for just anyone. We must step up our training with weapons."

Xander cuts in. "Buffy, you should stay at home until these Samurai guys are history."

Buffy turns to him. "What?"

"Ah-ah-ah, don't worry about Angel, Katy can run to your house and make him get out of town."

"How would she do that, exactly?" she asks pointedly.

Xander shrugs, and opens my satchel, placing the dagger on the table. "She could stab him."

I quickly swipe the dagger away from him and drop it into my bag. "Xan, no!" I hiss. "I'm not going to go around stabbing people!"

"Angel and Buffy are not in any immediate jeopardy." Giles reminds Xander. "Eventually the Master will send someone else, but in the meantime the Three, having failed, will offer their own lives in penance."

The librarian gestures for Xander, Willow, and I to leave. I climb to my feet, throwing my satchel over my shoulder. "Right, right. I'm already somewhat trained so you don't need me to work on anything...right?"

Giles nods. "Precisely. We will still need your aide when the actual fight goes on."

I give him a thumbs up. "Okay then. We'll catch you later, Buff!"

Buffy waves and we exit the library. When we do, Giles puts up a sign that lets everyone know that the library is closed for the day. I assume that he's going to start training Buffy immediately.

I groan at my sudden thought, facepalming. Xander rests his hand on my arm, eyes concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I promise that I'm okay," I soothe him, and he nods, smiling a bit. He looked relieved, and the expression made my heart somersault. "I just remembered that Greyson is coming home tonight."

Willow perks up at the mention of my older brother. "Really? Well, in that case, we should have a sleepover!" When we both stare at her, she corrects herself. "Um, I mean, it would be fun because we haven't had one in a while. We could even invite Buffy. And Xander!"

I shake my head. "I dunno, Will."

Xander speaks up. "If it's because your mom is against boys, then I'm okay with it. I'll sleep on the floor."

"No, no, she'd be okay with you," I tell him, jogging his memory. "Remember when you stayed the night with Will and I on my birthday last year?"

He nods. "Weirdest party ever. Although I did enjoy getting my fingernails painted."

I giggle, remembering that we painted them a bright red, and how shocked Xander was when it didn't come off with soap and water. I also had done his makeup, giving him a complete makeover to look like one of my favorite glam metal artists.

"You took on the Nikki Sixx role," Willow says with a laugh. I also remember when I snuck out of my room at three a.m. and brought back a small bottle of vodka. Xander and I had shared the bottle—he was determined to show me that he was not a lightweight—and it turned out that he couldn't handle alcohol. And he was a lot to take care of. Willow and I had to deal with a rambunctious party animal for the rest of the night.

Xander nodded. "Yeah. The only thing I remember from that night is that when I broke Katy's VCR player she tackled me!"

I couldn't help but laugh. It was funny at the time, but I felt bad afterward. "Not only that, but you also puked in my sink."

Our red-headed friend cringes at the memory. "That was gross. But at least we didn't have to hold up your hair."

We all agree. His body wasn't made to tolerate alcohol. As we part ways, I promise Willow to ask my mom about her and Xander coming for a sleepover, along with Buffy.

As I approach my locker, Xander lingers at my side. "So, Katy, there's something I want to tell you..."

After putting in my combination, I manage to get my locker open. I dig through the unorganized mess of discarded test papers and binders to retrieve my math textbook. I slam my locker shut, being sure to lock it. "What is it?"

When I turn to face him, I notice that he's hesitating and I rest my hand on his arm. He seems to tense up at my touch. "Is everything okay?"

My eyes search his, seeking some sort of confirmation. He looks down at his shoes, laughing nervously. "I think so." We meet our eyes once again. "Erm, well, I just wanted to tell you that I—"

The shrill ring of the bell cuts him off. Students bustle all around us, heading to their designated classrooms. I give him a bright smile. "See you after class?"

Xander nods. "Yeah. Yeah, see you then." He smiles back at me.

My hand slowly slides down his arm and I squeeze his hand. "I'll be sure to call tonight." I release my grip. He waves, and I do the same, feeling a bit shy.

All I can think about as I walk to my next class is what he could have possibly wanted to tell me. But I guess I'll have to wait and find out.

♱ ♱ ♱

Whenever I get home, mentally drained from bearing hours of pointless droning about literature and the importance of Algebra, it's a bit surprising to see my older brother already sitting at the dining room table. He's slurping obnoxiously at a bowl of soup when he sees me leaning against the doorway.

Greyson stands, dropping the spoon back into the bowl. His smile is bright. "Hi." He pulls me into a hug that's much tighter than expected, and I hug him just as tightly, tears welling in my eyes. I didn't expect to be so emotional.

"I missed you so much," I whisper. He gives me another gentle squeeze before looking me in the eyes.

"I missed you, K." I smile at the use of my childhood nickname. Greyson offers me the seat beside him at the dining room table, and I oblige, setting my satchel on the ground. "How's school been? You're still staying out of trouble, right?"

I shrug my shoulders. "I've been trying to." His smile falters, and I know what he's thinking. He knows that we both lead very different paths after our dad died, with him focused on schooling and me focusing on the same rebellious hobby that got him killed in the first place.

But now, it wasn't a hobby. It was life or death.

"Hi, sweetie!" Mom's voice interrupts my train of thought and I give her a tight-lipped smile when she presses a kiss to my hair. "How was school?"

She's staring down at me with the same green eyes that Greyson inherited and that I was so jealous of. They both shared ash-blond hair and green eyes, along with the same smile. I looked so much more like my dad, which was both a blessing and a curse because I also got his defiant nature.

"It was good," I said. "The same as usual."

Mom sits down in the chair across from us, and Greyson continues to slurp at his soup. "Would you like something to eat?"

I shake my head. "No, I'm okay. There's something I want to ask."

Mom smiles at me. "Sure Katy, you can ask me anything."

"This might make me seem like a total douche, especially since Grey is home for the weekend, but is it okay if Willow and Xander sleepover tonight? And Buffy too?"

Greyson bristles at my question. "Xander? Isn't that the weird guy who came over for Halloween last year?"

"And my birthday," I remind him. "He's not weird, he's my friend." I look back at mom, waiting for her answer.

She purses her lips. "Well...I had family movie night planned, especially since Greyson has been so adamant about watching Full Metal Jacket again, but I'm sure we can schedule it for tomorrow night."

I jump up from my chair. "Yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I hug her tightly and turn towards my brother. "I promise I'll make it up to you."

I run into the kitchen and take the landline phone off of the hook, immediately dialing Xander and Willow's number. They both answer, and I tell them they're able to stay tonight. My red-headed friend is, as expected, beyond excited, saying that she's already packed her bag and that she'd be over in an hour. Whenever I call Xander, he's happy as well and tells me that he'll be there around the same time as Willow.

"Let's see..." I look at the call log taped onto the wall beside the phone, and my finger skims for Buffy's number scrawled in my handwriting. I dial it, and I'm disappointed that she doesn't answer. But, she's busy being the Slayer. I know that she doesn't have time for anything else when it comes to saving the world.

I put the phone back on the hook, telling mom what time my friends will be over. Greyson purses his lips at the mention of Xander. I knew that he was against the idea of a boy staying the night, but that he would tolerate it since he was my best friend. On the other hand, he stiffened when I mentioned Willow's name. I knew he thought that she could be overbearing at times, but what if it was for another reason?

I knew it was nearly impossible for him to like my red-headed friend, but now the thought was stuck in my mind. The way he looked at her was familiar in the way I looked at Xander...

I decide to hang out with my mom and brother for a while before my friends arrive. We play a round or two of Blackjack, much to Greyson's pleasure. It was one of his favorite card games, especially since he always won.

He lays down his final card, and when he realizes he's won once again, he jumps up from his seat at the table. "Yeah!" He dances around me and my mom, causing her to laugh loudly. I roll my eyes at his foolishness, but I can't help a small smile gracing my lips. "I beat you again!"

"That's enough, Greyson." Mom teases. "We know you're better at this card game than we are."

"I kicked your—"

Just as he's about to finish his sentence, our doorbell rings. "I'll get it!" I practically knock my chair down in the process of standing up and sprinting to the door. When I open it, I'm greeted by the smiling faces of my friends. To my surprise, Buffy is also here. I guess she must've gotten my message after all.

"Hey, guys!" I exclaim, hugging them tightly. Xander and Buffy wrap their free arms around me, and Willow peeks over my shoulder. Once I pull away, she smiles. She must've heard Greyson talking to mom. "I'm guessing he's here?" she asked.

I nod, moving out of the doorway. "Yes, Will, he's here. Come on in."

Xander and Willow don't hesitate to walk in, but Buffy is almost hesitant. I know she probably didn't have many friends back in Los Angeles due to everything that happened, so this was probably one of the first times she had ever done something like this. I lead them into the kitchen, and mom's smile brightens whenever she sees my friends. "Hi, guys!"

Xander greets my mom with a smile. "Hey, Mrs. Melville." Willow does the same. Buffy also waves at mom, and she's happy to meet her, telling that the blonde that she was welcome anytime.

Willow's eyes are on my brother, who was hunched over, reading one of his many college textbooks. Her persistent stare makes me smirk—I know she was waiting for him to say something to her. And whenever he realizes that she's watching him, he looks up from his place at the table. His wide smile takes me by surprise. "Hey, Red."

"H—hi Greyson." Willow must be in shock. He hadn't used that nickname for her since we were little. Admittedly, I was also surprised.

I didn't want to be in an awkward situation any longer, so I motion for my friends to follow me upstairs to my room. Willow looks sad but she obliges. Xander and Buffy are close by my side while my redheaded friend slowly trudges behind us.

"Your mom is nice," Buffy said with a smile.

I nod. "Yeah. She loves having visitors."

We eventually make it to my room. I immediately flop down onto my bed, sinking into the dark red comforter. Willow climbs up beside me whilst Xander sits at the end of my bed. I watch Buffy take in her surroundings and sits in my gray beanbag chair. "Your room is cool. I love the posters."

I smile up at my Mötley Crüe poster. "Thanks. They used to be my dad's."

My dad used to listen to a lot of 80's music. He said it reminded him of better times before he knew of the existence of vampires. We often used to listen to his old mixtapes when I was done with training. After he died, it was one of the only things I still had from him.

Xander turns on my stereo, "Can't Fight This Feeling" by REO Speedwagon blaring from the speakers. I jump up and quickly change the track. The song had been on repeat for weeks. It reminded me of my dad.

"Let's pop some popcorn, " I said, smiling brightly.

My friends are happy to hear my suggestion and we fix a large bowl of popcorn. "Help," Willow said with a laugh. Her hands are full since she also offered to carry our cups full of Coca-Cola. Buffy quickly rushes to her side and sets the cups down on my nightstand.

We all decided to watch a movie. Buffy and Willow couldn't pick out a particular one so Xander chose. Of course, the girls didn't like his pick. But I did. I always preferred comedy instead of romance. And I don't think I could watch any sort of romance movie with my state of mind.

"This is great," Buffy sighs. "No vampires, no end of the world stuff...just me and my best friends."

I smile. "Agreed. Nothing is better than this."

As the night continues, we play truth or dare, dance together, and do everything you would expect to happen at a sleepover. Xander let me do his makeup again, which surprised my friends.

"I look like a clown, don't I?" He groaned. He put his head in his hands and I giggled at his dramatic behavior.

I add another layer of my favorite red lipstick to his lips. "Shut up. You look great." I admire my final touches and I'm feeling proud of myself. He looked like he belonged on stage with Motley Crüe. He did look great. With or without makeup.

That was just a perk of being Xander.

♱ ♱ ♱

The sound of leaves outside of my bedroom window startles me awake. I glance over to see Willow on the floor beside me, snoring softly. She was curled up in her sleeping bag. I sit up, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes as I peer at my window. The curtains billow in the chilling autumn breeze and I realize that the window is open.

Whenever I stand to close the window I'm surprised to see Xander wide awake on his back, staring up at my ceiling. He hears my movement and turns in his sleeping bag to face me.

"I guess you couldn't sleep either."

I turn to look at him. Seeing him now, illuminated by the glow of moonlight, he was even more handsome than I could ever imagine. The husky sound of sleep in his voice made my heart leap in my chest.

"N—no," I stammer, recollecting my thoughts. "My window is open."

"Oh," He realizes. "Well, that explains the drop in temperature."

I laugh, shutting the window. "It does. But why is it open?" I look around my dimly lit bedroom to see one of the sleeping bags is empty. Buffy.

"Buffy's gone," I sigh. "She left during the night. I guess her slaying duties are more important than a sleepover."

I climb into Xander's sleeping bag, not wanting to return to my own bed just yet. He doesn't seem to mind me being beside him, and we lay in silence, staring up at the cloudless night sky. When he looks to meet my eyes, I can feel the tension.

"You know, Katy...I worry about you sometimes." His voice is soft now, barely a whisper.

I raise an eyebrow. "Why's that?"

"I just...I don't want anything to happen to you. You're always putting yourself in dangerous situations, fighting evil every chance you get. I worry that something will go wrong. I don't want to lose you."

I turn onto my side, staring at the side of his face. His eyes refuse to meet mine. "Is that what you wanted to tell me earlier?"

Xander nods. He's still staring up at the ceiling. I rest my head against his chest, listening to his quickening heartbeat.

"You don't have to worry about me," I reassure him. "Trust me, Xand, I can take care of myself."

He shakes his head, turning towards me. I didn't realize how close we were until now. Our faces are inches apart. I feel myself blush.

"No, you don't understand," he said. "I worry about you because..." His fingertips brush against my cheek, traveling down to cradle my chin.

"Because?" I whispered, waiting for him to continue.

He doesn't reply. Instead, his gaze flickers down to my lips. I feel myself slowly leaning in. He does the same. My heart begins to pound.

What was happening?

Then, he kisses me.

His lips are smooth and plump. They brushed mine softly at first, and our noses bumped together as he kisses me a little harder. I respond eagerly, my lips now crushed against his. He rests a gentle hand on the back of my neck, pulling me closer to him. I hadn't kissed anyone before, so I didn't know what to expect. But this was so much different than I had expected. It was awkward, yes, but full of excitement and yearning.

He pulls away from me slowly, his eyes fluttering open. We stare into each other's eyes for a few moments as I collect my thoughts. I was happy, elated even. But I was also scared. What did this mean for us? For our friendship?

"Xander," I whispered. "What was that?"

"Just a kiss." He swallows hard. It was almost as if he was unsure of his words. But that kiss surely couldn't mean anything more than what I had hoped, right? He was just caught up in the moment. There was no way that he could feel the same. He just didn't want his best friend getting hurt. That was all.

"Just a kiss," I repeated.

I sit up to look at the time on my analog clock, seeing that it was almost three A.M. Despite being warmer by his side, I knew that it was best for me to be in bed. I slowly climb onto my bed and he watches me slip under the covers. As I turn over onto my stomach I hear the rustling of his sleeping bag. He must've been turning back onto his side.

"Goodnight, Xander."