3rd Person's POV

Buffy watches as Giles walks away. She had just told him about Angel warning her about some fork guy. She would have to get Laney to help her look out for him tonight.

Willow makes her way over making Buffy smile but then frown when she sees Willow's expression.

"What's wring Will?"

"I'm not sure if they... last night they... and she was wearing his... and I..."

Buffy nods completely understanding, "You're not sure if Xander and Laney slept together last night. They left and went to your house and she was wearing his shirt and you like him."

Willow looks at her with wide eyes, "Wow you're good."

"Thanks I try. And don't freak out. I'll talk to Laney and see what happened. I'm sure it's nothing."

Just as she says that Xander walks up to the two with Laney in tow. The two are smiling, talking to each other and very close not too close but close enough.

"I seem to have spoken a bit too soon."

"Hey guys." Xander says with a wide smile.

Buffy frowns pointing between the two of them, "You two...?"

Laney frowns then shakes her head, "No... we just have a bit of a better understanding about each other. Look I gotta go. Cordelia just texted me, we have practice soon."

Laney waves bye and walks away. Xander watches as she leaves with a small smile then turns back to Willow and Buffy.

"So how was your night?"

Willow glares lightly and Buffy grimaces.

"It was fine."

"Guess what I just over-heard in the office. No Dr. Gregory today. Ergo those of us who blew off our
Science homework... are not as dumb as we look."

Buffy frowns, "What happened, is he sick?"

"They didn't say anything about sick-- something about... missing."

"He's missing?"

"Hold on, let me think, the cheerleaders were modeling the new short skirts and I kinda got distracted... yeah, I think they said missing."

Xander reads Buffy's concern, turns to Willow.

"Which is bad."

Buffy nods, "If something's wrong, yeah."

Willow nods quickly, "He's one of the only teachers who doesn't think Buffy is a felon."

"I'm really sorry. I'm sure he'll-- iya-hoo."

Xander sees something on sight that chills his bacon. Buffy and Willow follow his gaze.

A woman in her late twenties, a heart-stopper. Xander and every other boy on campus can't take their eyes off her. She slows her speed as she passes Xander, turns, stops.

"Could you help me?"

"Egguh-- yes." Xander says almost drooling.

"I'm looking for Science one oh nine."

"Sure. It's, uh... I go there everyday..."

He looks over at Buffy and Willow with wide eyes, "I- oh god, where is it?"

Blayne steps in front of Xander, "Hi. Blayne Mall. I'm going there right now. It's not far from the
Varsity Field where I took all city last year..."

"Thank you, Blayne."

She gives Xander a dazzling smile then heads off with Blayne.

"Funny how the earth never opens up and swallows you when you want it to. Second time this week."

In biology class, a lovely hand writes "NATALIE FRENCH" on the board as students enter and take their seats. Buffy and Willow walk towards their desks. Something catches Buffy's eye. She stops and turns back; Willow watches her pick Dr. Gregory's glasses off the floor. Buffy notes the cracked lens.

Willow frowns, "What's wrong."

"If he dropped his glasses why didn't he pick them up?"

Buffy puts them on the display table and they take their seats. Natalie turns from the board as the class settles. Amongst the students are Xander and Blayne.

"My name is Natalie French, I'll be substituting for Dr. Gregory."

"Do you know when he's coming back?" Buffy asks worried.

"No I don't..." She looks at seating chart, "Buffy. They just call and tell me where they want me."

"I'll tell you where I want you..."

Laney frowns and coughs into her hand, "Creep."

Buffy chuckles quietly.

"Excuse me, Blayne?" Natalie says with a small smile.

"I was just wondering if you were going to pick up where Dr. Gregory left off."

"Yes, his notes tell me you were right in the middle of insect life."

Natalie picks up the praying mantis in its little case.

"The praying mantis is a fascinating creature, forced to live alone. Who can tell me why?... Um Laney?"

Laney looks at the mantis, "Well, the words 'bug ugly' kinda spring to mind."

Natalie's eyes suddenly go cold. Laney chuckles to herself then looks at Buffy.

"You get it... I said bug ugly instead of butt."

Buffy laughs, "Yes Laney I get it."

Natalie gives Laney a deadly stare, "There's nothing ugly about these unique creatures. The reason they
live alone is because they're cannibals."

General "ee-yews" sound from the class.

"It's hardly their fault-- it's the way Nature designed them: noble, solitary..."

Buffy, Laney, and Willow exchange a look-- this broad's weird-- Xander, Blayne and the boys are all transfixed-- and not by what she's saying.

"And prolific: over eighteen hundred species worldwide. In nearly all of them, the female is larger and more aggressive than the male."

"Nothing wrong with an aggressive female." Blayne smirks winking at Laney.

Laney points a finger at her mouth and acts like she throwing up.

Natalie ignores them and picks up a text, "The California Mantis lays her eggs and then finds a mate..."

She walks past Xander, giving him a warm smile on the word "mate". He looks up at her, oh so ready to be that mate.

"...to fertilize them. Once he's played his part, she covers the eggs in a protective sack and attaches them to a leaf or a twig, out of danger."

Natalie shows them a color photo of a mantis egg sack-- a gooey cocoon-like sack 'o eggs.

"If she's done her job correctly, in a few months she'll have several hundred offspring."

Natalie pauses in front of a bulletin board that announces: SCIENCE FAIR PROJECTS DUE BY THE 18th.

"We should make some model egg sacks for the Science Fair. Who'd like to help me do that after school? I warn you, it's a delicate art, I'd have to work with you very closely, one on one..."

Every male hand in the class shoots up.

Natalie smiles.

JUST FOR FUN
Laney's Outfit, Nails, and Hair