The next few nights after his confrontation with Darla, Angel realized that he was being trailed. He managed to stake a few of the vampires that Darla or her compatriots had set on his tail, but the rest were either too fast or too good at hiding for him to catch.

One night, he trailed a vampire he recognized from his days with Darla to a local club. But by the time he managed to get into the club, the vampire had vanished into the milling crowds.

Feeling completely out of place, and more than a little hungry, he circulated through the crowd. No sign of him.

He stopped in the shadows, and leaned back against one of the support pillars, eyes scanning the crowd. His eyes stopped on a group of high school girls who were talking and smiling. So alive. he thought ruefully, well aware that any one of them would make a nice meal... for him or any other enterprising vampire.

One of the girls, a slim blonde in a fashionable dress, looked up, then right at him. He blinked at her, startled. She smiled at him, turned, said something to her friends, then sasheyed through the crowd to him.

"Hi. You look kinda lonely. Come here often?" Her smile was brilliant, and he responded with a vaguely self-mocking one.

"Not really."

"Oh, that's too bad. I'm Buffy."

"Angel." he replied, regarding her with amusement. The girl was sweet... and completely naive.

"Just Angel? No last name?"

He stared at her. "...Not really."

"It's a pretty name." she said. "Are you a college student?"

"Um, yeah." he said, feeling uncomfortable. The two stared at each other in silence for a few seconds, and then she said

"Well, that's... good. I'm in high school. I'm a sophmore. arrived in Sunnydale a few days ago."

"I just arrived here myself." he said. Buffy's friends were beginning to look distinctly amused at her predicament. Angel relented a bit. "Would you like to..." he started awkwardly.

"Dance?" Her smile brightened. "I'd love to."

He nodded, then did one last scan of the club. As he glanced past her, he noticed Darla mingling with the crowd and eying a muscular young man in a a t-shirt and jeans. "Excuse me, I've got to..." he started, feeling like a complete idiot.

"Go?" Buffy looked nonplussed. As he hurried away from her and into the crowd, she turned and called half-heartedly. "It was nice meeting you..."

There was no reply. Angel, already intent on Darla, didn't even notice Buffy's last sentence.

"Maybe we can dance some other time?" she tried hopefully.

No reply. Buffy scowled. "Well, fine. Be that way." she mumbled, then turned and headed for her friends.