"Excuse you!" she hissed, angrily, whilst carefully re-straightening her vest top. Buffy smiled
apologetically, and began to continue on her way, when Cordelia tapped her on the shoulder.
Her face was flushed an embarrassed red.

"Uh, Buffy. I didn't mean to, uh...be so...so...well, y'know?" Buffy raised an eyebrow
questioningly, but Cordelia really couldn't bothered with an explanation. "Yeah, well, there's like
this totally cool beach party on this weekend at Santa Costa beach! Courtesy of," Cordelia
paused, and smiled blissfully, "Dan Miller!" Buffy stared nonchalantly back at her.

"Hello, Buffy? Reaction? Dan Miller?! Real cute guy?" Still no response. Cordelia stared at the
floor, and caught sight of Buffy's "so last year" shoes. Cordelia gritted her teeth. It was worth a
try.

"Uh, I...really, uh...love your shoes!" Buffy glared at her.

"No you don't!"

"You're right! I don't. I really, *really* don't. But that isn't the issue here! It's about *me* going
out with *Dan Miller* if I invite enough people to his party!" Cordelia's eyes filled with
hopefulness, as her blush increased. "Buffy! I really don't wanna beg! I mean, we're in public!"
Buffy's face still remained passive. "Fine! I hope you know what an opportunity you are turning
down here! This is *the* party of a lifetime - your chance to become popular!" Cordelia could
see she wasn't getting anywhere, so she swiftly drew an invite from her small shoulder bag, and
placed it in Buffy's hand. A look of anger appeared on Buffy's face, and she quickly tore the
invitation into four pieces, which were then shoved into the bottom of her pocket.

"Look, Cordelia! I have responsibilities to everyone here! I can't just go out to a party for some
petty excuse of yours! Don't you understand?! I have a job to do! I can't party some and look
out for everyone in Sunnydale at the same time, can I?" Cordelia stared back at her, her mouth
open in a horrified expression.

"Buffy! I've just given you the biggest chance you'll ever get to break away from your Slayer
cycle thing! You need a change!"

"Well that's your opinion! At least I'm mature enough to think of others!" Buffy screamed, in
reply. Looking around herself, Buffy noticed that an expectant crowd was gathering. Expectant
of a fight between the loser and the popular, pretty, fashionable Cordelia. She expected they
only knew her as "loser." Not as Buffy, or as "The Chosen One."

"I gotta go," she mumbled, apologetically, as she pushed through the thickening crowd. Cordelia
shrugged as if nothing important had just happened, and began passing out more invitations...