touchable - Buffy the Vampire Slayer S2 (on hold)

ted - p3

THIRD PERSON POV

As Camila approached her house, the blinding blue and red lights set off an alarm. Immediately she began to race down the street, finding the entirety of the front lawn filled with crime scene professionals. Time slows as Camila steps through the people before spying Buffy sitting on the porch, Joyce also not far away as a body is carried out. A detective approaches Joyce and begins to ask her questions. 

"Can you tell me what happened?" there is a beat as Joyce looks up at the detective. 

"He fell. Down the stairs. He fell." Joyce replies, her eyes welling with tears.

"I see. Did he slip, do you know what made him fall?" there is another beat as Camila continues to approach and Buffy looks up at the detective. 

"I hit him." she mutters and suddenly it is very quiet. Buffy glances up at Camila, cheeks puffy and red. "I hit him." 

*

The police station is bustling with activity as Joyce and Camila sat side by side on the bench, waiting quietly for Buffy. Camila's mind was still trying to process what had occurred before she had arrived home. She knows Buffy wouldn't have hit him unless there was something wrong, she thinks. Camila's eyes wander to Joyce, seeing her short breathes repulse from her trembling body. She goes to say something but instead chooses to remain silent as the interrogation room door opens. 

"Are you charging her with something?" Joyce asks, standing and focusing herself at the detective's desk. 

"We're not bringing anything up against your daughter right now. She says Mr Buchanan struck her and if that's the case...anyway we're gonna examine it further. Right now i think you should just take her home and the two of you should try to get some rest." 

*

The car ride home was silent. Buffy sat in the back whilst Camila and Joyce sat side by side in the front. There is a moment when Buffy tries to say something to her mother, but either thinks better of it or can't think of anything to say. 

Camila also remains silent. Although still slightly confused, she didn't want to start a discussion which could end badly, so instead she decided to remain quiet. 

*

When it was time to leave for school the next day, Camila found that Buffy was already gone. There was a silence down stairs, except for the quiet clatter of dishes as Joyce stood mindlessly at the sink. 

"Joyce?" Camila's voice was quiet as she waited for Joyce to turn around. "I, uh, i'm heading off to school. Is there anything you want me to get afterwards? I'm happy to cook dinner tonight if yo-"

"Thank you Cam, but it's alright." Joyce smiles softly, turning to face Camila in the doorway. "I need something to distract myself." Camila nods in response, swinging her bag on her shoulder. 

"I understand. I'll see you later." Camila and Joyce share a silent smile before she wanders out of the door and down the street to school. 

*

Camila walked down the noisy halls, her eyes bouncing from student to student as she searched for Buffy. A group of girls gossiped as she wandered past and Camila heard them mention Buffy's name. 

"What did you just say?" Camila snaps, not realising she had said anything at all. There was a spark, albeit small, igniting from her fingertips, surging as a pulse to her eyes and the group of girls trembled. 

"N-nothing." their response was jittery as Camila pushed herself away and into the student lounge where she spied her best friends. 

"I don't know. Not yet. But...he was a guy. He was a weird, sleazy guy, but he was a person and i killed him." Buffy mutters, her voice duller than usual.