3rd Person's POV

"This is so unfair!"

Buffy, Willow and Xander are walking past the rose gardens toward the building.

Willow grimaces, "I don't think it's that bad."

Buffy stares blankly, "It's the Ueber-suck. Mom could've at least warned me."

Xander shrugs, "Well, a lot of parents are doing it this year. It's part of this whole cultural exchange magilla. The exhibit, the dance..."

Willow claps her hands together in excitement, "I have the best costume for the dance!"

"A complete stranger in my house for two weeks. I'm gonna be insane! A danger to myself and others within three days, I swear." Buffy sighs.

"I think the exchange student program's cool," Xander chuckles as he gets a look from Buffy, "I do! It's a beautiful melding of two cultures."

"Have you ever done an exchange program?"

"My dad tried to send me to some Armenians once. Does that count?"

They climb the steps to the building entrance and the cultural exchange exhibit. Cordelia stands with Lang and two other girls as they look over the pictures of the exchange students.

"Ooo! There's mine! Sven. Isn't he lunchable? Mine's definitely the best."

Buffy walks up beside Laney and tilts her head in confusion, "What're you lookin' at?"

Laney rolls her eyes, "Cordy wanted to see what her exchange student would look like."

Buffy nods slowly. Over the past week Laney had become distant again. Not as bad as the last time during the hyena takeover but everyone knew she was holding in her pain and frustration.

Cordelia snaps Buffy out of her head by squealing, "Look. 100% Swedish, 100% gorgeous, 100% staying at my house! So, how's yours? Visually, I mean."

Buffy shrugs as she sees Willow and Xander finally catch up, I don't know. Guy like?"

Xander's head snaps to the left as he stares at Buffy in question, "By guy-like we are talking big, beefy, guy-like girl, right?"

"I was just told 'guy'."

Laney purses her lips, "You didn't look at him first?"

Cordelia nods with a knowing look, "He could be dogly. You live on the edge."

Laney chuckles as Cordelia walks off without another word. Her groupies quickly follow making Laney roll her eyes.

Xander clears his throat gaining the attention back, "Hold on a sec. So, this person who's living with you for two weeks is a man. With man parts. This is a terrible idea."

Willow scoffs, "What about the beautiful melding of two cultures?"

"There's no melding, okay? He better keep his parts to himself."

"Oh geez Alex if we didn't know any better you would seem jealous."

They stop at the end of a row of display cases, and Buffy notices Rodney scraping a mask.

"What's he doing?"

Xander frowns, "Uh, that's Rodney Munson."

Laney sighs, "He's God's gift to the bell curve."

Another student goes up to Rodney and gets growled at.

Xander nods, "What he lacks in smarts he makes up in lack of smarts."

Willow rolls her eyes sighing, "You just don't like him 'cause of that time he beat you up every day for five years."

Laney chuckles covering her mouth, "Oh my gosh I totally forgot about that."

Buffy giggles to herself.

Xander rolls his eyes, "Yeah. I'm irrational that way."

Buffy smiles, "I better stop him before he gets in trouble."

Willow holds up a hand stopping Buffy.

"I got it. The non-violent approach is probably better here."

As Willow goes over to Rodney, Buffy frowns turning back to Laney and Xander, "I wasn't gonna use violence. I don't always use violence. Do I?"

Laney chuckles nervously, "Wow is that Cordelia I hear calling me? Gotta go."

Buffy gapes as Laney quickly makes her way through the crowd of students. Turning to Xander, Buffy gives him a pleasing look.

Xander shrugs, "The important thing is you believe that."

...

All the students follow the museum Guide as she talks about the Inca exhibit, "Welcome, students. We shall now proceed into the Incan burial chamber. The human sacrifice is about to begin."

Xander scoffs, "Typical museum trick. Promise human sacrifice, deliver old pots and pans."

"Five hundred years ago, the Incan people chose a beautiful teenage girl to become their princess. They take the steps up to a platform where the Incan stone coffin and mummy are on display."

"I hope this story ends with, 'And she lived happily ever after.'"

Xander grimaces at Willow before looking into the coffin, "No, I think it ends with, 'And she became a scary, discolored, shriveled mummy.'"

"The Incan people sacrificed their princess to the mountain god Sebancaya, an offering buried alive for eternity in this dark tomb."

Willow frowns, "They could've at least wrapped her in those nice white bandages, like in the movies?"

"The princess remained there protected only by a cursed seal placed there," The guide points to the plate in the mummy's hands, "as a warning to any who would wake her."

Cordelia, Laney, and a few other girls are still looking at the exchange student pictures and laughing as Xander glances over at them then back at Buffy.

"So, Buffy, when's exchange-o boy making his appearance?"

"His name's Ampata. Gonna be at the bus station tomorrow night."

"Ooo. The Sunnydale bus depot. Classy! What a better way to introduce someone to our country than with the stench of urine."

The Guide whistles catching everyone's attention, "Now, if you'll follow me this way, please. They all walk past the coffin and follow the guide to the next destination on the tour."

...

The exhibit is deserted now except for Rodney, who cautiously looks around and makes his way back up to the mummy. He looks into the stone coffin and sees the plate with the seal.

"Aha. Cool."

He reaches in and yanks at the plate, trying to wrest it from the mummy's grip. He gets it out of one hand, and yanks it hard to get it out of the other. It comes loose, and he pulls it up too fast, breaking it against the side of the coffin.

"Oh! Damn!"

He reaches in to collect the pieces. The mummy's arms reach up and grab him by the neck. Its eyelids open to reveal empty sockets as it pulls him in closer.

...

Buffy and Laney are in the library training with Giles as Xander studies at the table.

"So, can I go?"

Giles frowns, "I think not."

Buffy lands four hard hits on the training pad Giles is holding. He flinches at her blows, and after she's done puts the pad down in favor of a much thicker one.

Buffy pouts moving to the side allowing Laney to take her place, "How come?"

Giles holds up the pads once more struggling one again as Laney now throws jabs.

"Because... you are the... Chosen One."

"Mm. Just this once I'd like to be the Overlooked One."

Laney chuckles, "Good one Buff."

"Well, I'm... afraid that is not-" Laney kicks the pad hard, making Giles stagger back a few steps, "You have responsibilities that other girls do not. Both of you."

Buffy and Laney go to switch once more causing Giles to sigh.

"Oh! I know this one! Slaying entails certain sacrifices, blah, blah, bity blah, I'm so stuffy, gimme a scone."

Giles chuckles sarcastically, "It's as if you know me."

Laney shrugs, "I thought it sounded just like you."

Buffy continues kicking. Xander winces at each blow.

"Your secret identity is gonna be difficult enough to maintain while this exchange student is living with you."

Xander gets up and separates them, "Nooot... with her. In the same house as her. Am I the only one who's objective enough to make that distinction?"

"So! I think going to the dance like a normal person would be the best way to keep that secret. Giles, come on, budge!"

"Yeah doc! No one likes a non- budger."

Giles stares at Laney blankly before turning to Buffy. He still doesn't say a word. Buffy raises an eyebrow, steps back, and comes at him for an especially hard kick.

"FINE!"

Buffy stops her kick at the last instant.

"Go."

Buffy smiles, "Yay! I win."

She high fives Laney who grins as well. Giles grimaces taking off the pads.

"I'll just go and introduce my shoulder to a, an icepack."

Xander hops off of the counter, "So, I guess we're dance-bound. Cool. I think I can get my mom's car, so I'm wheel man."

Laney frowns, "I thought you were taking Willow."

Xander shrugs, "Well, yeah, I'm gonna take Willow, but I'm not gonna take Willow. In the sense of 'take me'. See Laney has already decided that she was going with Cordelia no question there. But Buffy, with you we're three and everybody's safe. Without you, we're two."

Buffy gives Laney a knowing look then nods, "Ah, and we enter dateville. Romance, flowers..."

Xander nods, "Lips."

Willow comes into the library, but Xander's back is to the door so he doesn't see her. Buffy pretends not to notice her but secretly nudges Laney. Laney frowns whispering ow before seeing her sister enter the library.

Laney knew this wasn't going to be good. Xander had told her plenty times why him and Willow would never work and the fact that he knew Willow had a crush on him was kind of heart wrenching. She hoped someone would come along and finally catch Willow's eye.

"Oh, come on. In all the years you've know Willow, you've never thought about her lips?"

"Buffy, I love Willow."

Willow smiles widely.

"And she's my best friend. Which makes her not the kind of girl who I think about her lips that much."

Willow's smile fades to disappointment.

"She's the kind of girl that... I'm best friends with."

Willow sighs inwardly not wanting to hear anymore and decides to finally make her presence known, "Hey guys."

"Willow!" Xander jumps then smiles widely walking over to her, "Hi! We were just talkin' about happy things."

He puts his arm around her and pulls her over to Buffy at the table, "Like the three of us going to the dance together. See?" He laughs, "Happy!"

Willow isn't smiling.

Xander frowns, "Not happy."

"No. Uh, oh, y-yes. No."

Laney walks over to Willow and pats her shoulder calming her down, "Breathe. What's wrong?"

"Rodney's missing."

Giles comes out of his office with an ice pack, "Trouble with Mr. Munson again?"

Willow shakes her head, "His parents say he never came home last night."

Buffy holds her chin thinking, "Y'know, I don't think I remember seeing Rodney on the bus back from the field trip."

Laney nods slowly, "I didn't either."

Willow sighs, "I hope he didn't get in trouble at the museum."

Xander chuckles, "Hey, maybe he awakened the mummy."

Willow giggles, "Right, and it rose from its tomb."

Buffy smiles, "And attacked him."

All three stand nodding their heads as Laney slaps her forehead.

"Do I have to spell it out for you guys? You probably just figured out entirely what happened."

Their smiles fade as they all realize that that may not be so far-fetched. Laney sighs knowing a trip was ahead of them.

"I hate when we're right."

𝑆𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑦 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑎𝑖𝑡 𝑦𝑎𝑙𝑙!! 𝑆𝑢𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑒𝑥𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦!! 𝐴𝑙𝑜𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑛𝑒𝑤 𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑢𝑝!!

𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑡𝑜?

𝑁𝑒𝑤 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑢𝑝𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑤!!