Chapter 5
Buffy leaned against one of the unpainted walls of what is going to be the new Science building. Her mind was racing, trying to find the best solution to the problem but still coming up empty. Across from her was Xander who sat tensely on a pair of uninstalled support beams. The uncomfortably screamed between them like a freight train.
“Wow,” said Xander after a few moments “that’s like . . . uber-wow”
Buffy nodded. She felt glad that Xander was on campus with her. It helped ease the isolation of her calling.
“And the worst thing about it is that I’m not sure I can help this kid. His problem is, like, more natural and less super.” Buffy replied
“Are you sure he meant dead dead? Because this town has many definitions for the word dead.”
Buffy moved from the wall and sat next to Xander. To the demon world the slayer is an unstoppable killing machine but to Xander, at this very moment, the slayer is a concerned human who almost looks like she’s trembling.
“You should have seen his eyes Xander. It was like he is drowning in the deep of the pool.” Buffy said sadly
Xander put a supportive arm around her.
“Buffy just because most of the problems you face are usually solved by stabbing them with sharp things doesn’t mean you don’t have the experience. You went through a pretty tough time when your mom died and you didn’t end up drowning. I’m positive that you can help this kid out.”
Buffy turned and smiled at Xander. He may not be the best when being chased down by bloodthirsty monsters. But as a shoulder to cry on he was first rate.
“I knew there was a reason I kept you around.” Buffy joked
“Well I am what I am and I do what I can.” He replied
Buffy looked him up and down
“What are you doing?”
“At the moment I’m slacking,” Xander replied cheerfully, “us executive types only have to look busy or else the common worker will find out that we get paid more money to say ‘building go up’”
Daniel was still rattled after his counseling session that morning. He walked to his locker with purpose. At this point he felt that maybe if he stopped talking altogether he would be fine. As he rounded the corner he noticed his locker neighbor was there. Daniel stopped moving, his heart pounding quickly. He paid the kid who had the locker next to Dawn’s eighty bucks to switch lockers and now today it’s going to finally pay off. Daniel moved slowly planning every word in his head. As he arrived at his locker he was convinced that he had the conversation down.
“Howdy!” he yelled
Damn! That was on the list of things not to say.
Dawn turned to him slowly her crystal blue eyes sparkling with the fluorescent light.
“Ah . . . hi.” She replied cautiously
‘That was a false start you will be fine’ Daniel though to himself as he prepared himself for round two.
“I see you have books,” he said nervously, “I like books. You can find out . . . stuff. “
Dawn looked at him curiously. On the list of the most romantic conversation she has experienced in her short life this is ranked three levels below the one she had with Giles about stocking the shelves at the magic box.
“Yeah . . . full of Reading fun.” She replied
“I don’t think you know me I’m Daniel. We have English and Science together,” Daniel said feeling a little more confident now, “We have that big science project coming up and I like to study you.”
Dawn started to back away very slowly. Daniel tried desperately to gather the thoughts, which are now scattered all over his brain.
“WITH you” Daniel said quickly “ or maybe if we were both in the same place that you might like to, you know, be . . . There? With the studying . . . of the sciences”
it was at this point that he wished that lighting would strike him down or he could get run over by a stampede of animals or anything to just get him out of this conversation
“And maybe if I was there and you were there . . . you know the both of us there together . . . not together-together just there together . . . then maybe we could do some buddy studying?”
There’s moment in life were you realize that you must be the stupidest person in the entire universe. For Daniel he had not only reached that moment he had set up a nice hotel there to greet any others who whish to join him. Dawn stared awkwardly at him. He seem like a nice enough guy he just seemed a little to weird for her.
“I’ll . . . uh . . . think about it.” Dawn replied as she turned and jogged away from his as fast as she could. Daniel slammed his head against his locker as hard as he could. He hoped that maybe a head injury would kill him so that he doesn’t have to live though that embarrassment again. Swinging around he slid down onto the floor.
“Oh my god.” Came a voice from the other side of the hall.
It was Candy’s. From the position of her locker she had the perfect position to watch Daniel crash and burn. She walked over to him and shook her head. Daniel looked up at her.
“How bad?” he asked pitifully
Candy looked down the hallway to where Dawn had just raced through.
“Right now, I’d say she getting a restraining order and buying a shot-gun.”
Daniel banged his head against his locker again. A look of anguish crossed his face Candy knelt down and helped him to his feet. Daniel opened his locker and collected his books.
“I’m dead. I’m totally dead just burry me right now and pick a nice tomb stone.” He said despondently
Candy patted him on the shoulder caringly.
“It wasn’t that bad. Seriously, I think you can recover from this.” She said supportively
Daniel slammed his locker shut and glared at Candy. Eventually candy shrugged.
“Alright so it was that bad and maybe you are able to write the book on embarrassing moments but you and I both know that talking isn’t your strength.”
“What’s not his strength?” asked Adrian as he rolled in on his skateboard
“Danny crashed with Dawn.”
“Aw man!” yelled Adrian “your supposed to call me when he does that Candy!”
Both Candy and Daniel Glared at Adrian but he didn’t care. He started to fumble around in his pocket.
“It’s cool I got something that will make it all better check it out.”
He handed a crumpled up flyer to Daniel. The flyer advertised a midnight party happening in two days. Adrian stared expecting at Daniel
“There are like a ton of these all ‘round school. That place is going to be packed. It’s the perfect thing to help you get over Dawn Summers.”
Summers . . . Where had he heard that name before??
This question bugged him even more then before but he ignored it. Perhaps Adrian was right perhaps he needed something to take his mind off it. Unfortunately for him this wasn’t it. Daniel shook his head.
“I can’t. My mom wont let me.”
Adrian looked hurt. This is one of the only times he had tried to put any effort into the friendship and it’s been thrown back into his face.
“You are such a mommas boy. Every time I say we go somewhere you ‘no my mommy wont let me’” Adrian exclaimed
“Hey ease of alright!” yelled Candy “Danny just Crashed and burned real badly with summers! Maybe he doesn’t feel like going out.”
In his heart Daniel knew that Candy was trying to help but in his head he is not sure how.
“Thanks,” he said sarcastically “Hey maybe you should speak louder I don’t think they herd you in Mexico!”
“Hey no need to get snippy just because your boyfriend doesn’t want to cut the apron strings.” Yelled Adrian.
Candy’s eyes narrowed. She walked right up to Adrian.
“One day you and your attitude are going to get hurt real bad!” she snarled at him fire almost literally coming out of her eyes, “I just hope I’m around to see it.”
Adrian looked from Candy to Daniel and back again. He smirked.
“You know you’re cute when you’re mad.” He said
“You should see me when I’m really ticked off then” she replied ferociously
Adrian snatched the flyer from Daniels hands
“Whatever. I’ll leave you two to make out.”
He stormed off down the hallway nearly knocking down two students in the process. Candy shook her head
“Ass” she said to herself. She walked back to Daniel “Don’t mind him he’s just an idiot.”
“With a point,” replied Daniel, “maybe I am spending to much time at home. I mean look at summers. She couldn’t get away fast enough.”
She put her arm around his shoulder and smiled sweetly.
“Like I said before. We know you are not much with the talking but do you know what you are good at?” she asked
Daniel thought for a moment. He knew a few dead vampires who could answer that question but he doesn’t think that that is what Candy had on her mind. He shook his head.
“Writing. You are like a total wordsmith when it comes to the pen and paper. Maybe you should write her a note telling her how you feel. Send it with some flowers. Or candy, girls like candy.”
“I know I do.” Joked Daniel
They smiled at each other. Candy always knew the right thing to say to make him feel better.
At that moment the school bell rang. They both said their goodbyes and headed to their respected classes. Daniel had a spring in his step for the first time in as many moments this seemed to be looking up. That feeling was short lived as he entered his geography class and stood face to face with both Principal Wood and Buffy Summers.
“We would like to have a word you Daniel” principal Wood said in a tone that seem a lot less threatening then last time they spoke.
Daniel couldn’t move and he couldn’t speak. The only word that was going though his mind was run.
The walk to the principals is never a good moment for any student. In Daniel’s case he almost expected to hear prisoners yelling ‘dead man walking’. They entered the office and Daniel sat in his usual chair. Principal Wood took his usual position behind the desk and Buffy Flanked him. This arrangement was usual for him but this time it felt different. It was almost as if they want to put him at ease for some reason. Principal Wood drew in a deep breath and leaned forward.
“Miss Summers informs me that you might have some issues with your living arrangement Daniel.” principal Wood said evenly
When a grown-up uses the word ‘issue’ that usually translates to problem, which Daniel was sensing that he was in right at this very moment. He looked at the both of them carefully.
“I have no problem with my place.” Daniel replied.
Principal Wood sighed. It wasn’t his usual sarcastic sigh he gives him before he gets detention but one that was almost sympathetic. Buffy looked like she wanted to apologies for something big. The alarm bells went off in Daniels head as Buffy walked around the desk and knelt next to him.
“You’re not in trouble. We just want to make sure that your okay.” She said to him in a voice that tried to mimic Principal Wood calmness but failed.
The alarm bells in Daniels became stronger and now resemble the alarms you get in star trek when the enterprise is on the verge of being destroyed.
“I’m okay really. Nothing is going on.” he replied
Buffy looked down. Her expression told him that she is trying not to make a bad situation any worse.
“When you were talking about your mother being away today,” she said softly
“On vacation” finished Daniel a little quicker than he hopped
She nodded and smiled at him.
“When you talked. You weren’t talking about a vacation were you?”
Daniel looked at the both of them. He felt that he was in the hard place and the rock was barreling towards him. He has to be smart if he is going to get himself out.
“Yeah I was.” Replied Daniel “she told me her sister was sick so she wanted to be there for her.”
There was a long pause. The excuse Daniel gave seemed reasonable in his head. Now he hopes that the both of them think that to.
“You see that’s the problem Danny,” Principal wood responded, ” It’s my job as principal to look after the health and well-being of every student in this school. And would be irresponsible of me to ignore any student that might have issues of neglect or abuse.”
Daniel was even more worried. That many big words means something bad is about to happen and it’s going to happen to him.
“I fine. Noting going on.” Daniel insisted
“We just need to know your safe Danny” Buffy said in a Caring tone
He stood up. He had had enough of the third degree grilling he was getting and decided to take the front foot.
“God! Why is no one listening to me? There is nothing wrong with me. Ask anyone ask my dad!” he yelled.
Principal Wood stood up. He circle around his desk and joined Buffy next to Daniel.
“We tried both your home number and the Work contact number you left with us. There was no answer.”
Crap! He forgot about the fake contact numbers he left with the office. Daniel searched the room for anything he could use. On the notice board in the office outside he noticed an army recruitment poster that was going to be used for the up coming career day. That gave him an idea.
“Didn’t I give his new number?” asked Daniel
Principal wood thought for a moment then shook his head
“No I don’t think you did.”
“That’s probably why you haven’t been able to reach him.”
Daniel moved closer to the desk and started dialing. Both Buffy and Principal watch him as he waited for the person at the other end of the line to answer.
After a few moments there was a click and an older male voice said “yeah?”
“Hey Dad,” Said Daniel, looking extremely closely at Buffy and Principal wood, “Listen I have my school councilor and my principal with me at the moment they like to have a word with you.”
It rained heavily that evening in Sunnydale. The usual foot traffic had dissipated to the point where the streets were practically empty. On the outskirts of town a lone hooded figure stood. The rain was not going to stop them from what they where out there to do. A few moments later a car approached. Although the rain was coming down hard the figure could still make out the shape of a military humvee. The car stopped next to the figure and a soldier stepped out. He went to the back of the vehicle and opened the door and from the back he produce a small crate. With it in hand he approached the figure and placed the crate on the ground at his feet. They stared at each other for a moment
“Dad?” the soldier asked with both surprise and humor
Daniel pulled back the hood of his jacket and smiled lightly
“It was all I could think of at the Time,” replied Daniel
The soldier shook his head
“You know Danny. You are going to get yourself in a lot of trouble someday.”
Daniel patted the soldier on the arm and smiled
“Not with my favorite cousin watching my back. Do you have what I asked for?”
The soldier lent down and opened the crate. Inside was about a dozen stun grenades, smoke bombs and frag grenades. Daniel removed the pack from his shoulder and started to load carefully. The soldier looked nervously at Daniel
“You know these ‘special orders’ of yours are getting harder and harder to hide from the brass.”
Daniel finished loading and slung the bag back on his shoulder
“I though you wanted to leave the Army with a bang.”
“Yeah. But not like this. If you get caught using this stuff I’m looking at serious jail time.”
“This is for the greater good.” Replied Daniel confidently
The Soldier smiled. He knew that he was never going to talk him out of it.
“So how many do you think there are?”
“At least a dozen,” replied Daniel, “a lot of the activity I’ve seen recently tells me there is a nest some where near the graveyard. I’m hoping with these baby’s I can take it out in one hit.”
The soldier picked up the empty crate and loaded it back into the car.
As he climbed back into the humvee he yelled to Daniel
“Just keep your head down and don’t get bit!”
As the soldier pulled away he couldn’t help but wonder if he hadn’t gotten himself in to deep. As much as his cousin was a worrier he did have a point. Does saving the town mean breaking the law? It’s at these moments that he likes to remind himself of the last words his mother said to him
“Stay strong . . . keep fighting.”
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