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DISCLAIMER: Can I keep Spike, please?
SUMMARY: Dawn, at her first party at college. Boston'verse, prequel for Not Only of Bread...
WORDCOUNT: 9x100
PARTY TIME
by Leni
Whose idea was that she lived on her own? Dawn groused as she went through her
wardrobe. Right, hers. Who listened to teenagers these days, anyway? Wasn’t she
supposed to be willful, immature and not know about real life?
Yet here she was, attending a college in Boston. A dozen states away from her family and
the only people who talked to her was the Bimbo Trio upstairs. They were hosting a party
to celebrate Brigitte’s birthday tonight, and Dawn was invited. Such good neighbours.
Dawn held out the skimpiest shirt in her possession. She wanted to fit in, right?
*
Okay, the party sucked. Big time. Nothing but college boys and ex cheerleaders around. In
fact, the three owners were proudly wearing their uniforms. Dawn still wasn’t sure
whether to laugh or gape at the sight, she settled for taking another sip from her glass.
Hm, beer. Beer bad. Dawn looked around, couples were cuddling in the sofa and every
available corner, everyone else was in pairs, silently debating whether to join the Make
Out Brigade just yet. Dawn raised her glass in a mock toast to herself. Beer bad, party
worse.
To the joys of college life, hear hear!
*
Now Dawn kinda understood the cheerleader uniforms. Must be nice, to remember times
without basements or ghosts or that embarrassing experience at the squad which... Ugh.
Another visit to the keg.
The party wasn’t so bad as she’d believed at first. Dawn was even talking to
people, as in, people was talking back to her. So cool! She felt warm, too, and giddy and
so... energetic. And when her energy dwindled...
Another visit to the keg.
She was sitting on a desk now. Andrew, Michael and... hm. Whatever. Three guys were
standing around her. Okay, things were looking up. Finally.
*
Handsome redhead at her right, funny blond at her left.
Right: "Dawn, right? How do you find life in Boston?"
Dawn shrugged, and tried to smile sincerely. "It’s okay. Quiet."
Left: "Quiet? We’re the Party City, sweetheart!"
She drowned the last of her glass to keep from laughing. Then, still amused,
"Believe me, it’s quiet."
Right: "Andrew, I think the lady needs our help. Quiet indeed!."
Dawn laughed, showed them her empty glass. "The lady needs a refill first."
The third guy took it from her hands.
Yup, Dawn thought giddily, these were the moments a girl was born for.
*
He sighed, watching Dawn effectively guarded by Michael and Andrew. If only one of them
would leave already.... Suddenly, he saw a ray of hope. "Tell us, Dawn, any other
Summers girls we should watch out for?"
"Sisters?" Dawn frowned. "Yes... One, back in California. Kicking ass
and saving the wor--- I mean, that’s what you’d believe if you heard her. Works
for a P.I." She didn’t like the sudden grin in her three escorts. "But
she’s older. Way older." Then, a whisper. "I’m not sure
she’s into guys, either."
Three sighs came in unison. "Pity."
Dawn grinned, "Isn’t it?"
*
"Why aren’t you in California, too? I mean, you said your sister was there,
right?"
Dawn stared at her fingernails. Preeeetty. Oh, right, Michael’s question.
"Dunno, it seemed a good idea at the time."
"Wanted some independence, right?"
Dawn pondered that. "Yes, and no. I needed some quiet time, just me and
myself." She noticed a nicked thumbnail. "Damn, and I’m not even practising
any moves anymore."
"You can practise with me all you want, Dawn Summers."
A grin appeared on her face. "You know karate?"
Michael’s eyes widened. "You know karate? For real?"
Dawn remembered, laughed it off. "Gotcha!"
*
She was ringing. “I’m ringing!” Michael laughed, waved something in
front of her. Her cellphone. She wasn’t ringing; Dawn pouted. “Hello?”
“Hey Boston, just got here. You don’t mind a visit, do you, princess?”
Spike? “Spike!” Wow, she hadn’t expected him to come. “Cool!”
“Dawn? You alright?”
“Yes!” Giggles, that tickled. “Andrew, don’t... I’m
fine!”
“O-kay... Where are you?”
“At Brigitte’s. You know, upstairs. It’s her birthday. She said I should
have brought you with a ribbon around your neck. Oh, and I’m selfish, keeping you
only for myself.”
“Huh?”
“She’s right, about the rib--- Hey, Mikey, I’m talking...”
“Dawn?”
*
Dawn glared at the redhead. “That wasn’t nice, Mike.”
Michael shrugged unapologetically. “You were too distracted, I saw only one way to
bring you back.”
“Spike will be mad,” she mumbled, amazed that she didn’t really care.
“Boyfriend?” Andrew wondered aloud, passing an arm through hers and pulling her
to him.
Dawn laughed. “As if. He just likes to check on me in my sis’s stead.
He’s... older. And has a thing for, you know, blondes.”
“I have a thing for brunettes,” Unnamed told her, eyebrows rising in invitation.
No, he didn’t, but Dawn didn’t really mind the pretence now.
*
Dawn liked Andrew’s eyes. Brown, deep and helpful as he brought her another glass.
She even forgave them for straying down her shirt. “You are so pale,” she
noticed suddenly, his hand almost white against hers. So white... “...like a
vampire.”
The three guys laughed in unison.
“In Halloween I have the red eyes, too,” Andrew confessed with a wink.
Dawn shook her head. That was wrong. “No, not red.” She could remember a dozen
vampires’ eyes as they closed in on her. “Gold. The darkest gold.”
“Those are werewolves, sweetheart,” Michael corrected her amusedly.
“Yeah.” Dawn nodded, “Those too.”
*
And talking about gold... Dawn turned around when she felt a hand on her shoulder. There
was some gold among the blue. Blue? Dawn blinked. Spike? Blink blink.
“Spike!” She jumped down from the desk, and the world suddenly whirled around.
Then there was a hand at her waist, keeping her upright. Dawn looked up to thank him, and
found that the gold was still there. She frowned. What was with the golden eyes routine?
That was old.
“Spike?”
Silence. An angry stare later and Michael, Andrew and Anonymous were scrambling away. Dawn
sighed. There they went again.
“Hi, Spike.”
The End
06/02/05
Feedback
is welcome.
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