Buffy, Willow, Xander, Oz and I were in Xander's basement, preparing for the upcoming Halloween.
Xander was carving a jack-o-lantern with a knife. "I don't know. I was going for ferocious, scary, but it's coming out more dryly sardonic."
"It does appear to be mocking you with its eye holes," I told him.
"The nose hole seems sad and full of self-loathing," Oz told him.
Xander turned the jack-o-lantern around to show Buffy from where she was lying on the bed. "What do you think, Buff?"
"I was just thinking about the life of a pumpkin," Buffy told us. "Grow up in the sun, happily entwined with others, the someone comes along, cuts you open and rips your guts out."
"Okay, and on that happy notes," Xander told us. "I've got a treat for tomorrow night's second annual Halloween screening. People... prepare to have your spines tingled, your gooses bumped by the terrifying..." He pulled out a video, reading the title incredulously. "'Fantasia'. 'Fantasia'?"
"Maybe it's because of all the horrific things we've seen, but hippos wearing tutus just don't unnerve me the way they used to," Oz told us.
"'Phantasm'," Xander told us. "It was supposed to be 'Phantasm'. Stupid video store."
"I thought we were doing the Alpha Delta thing," Willow told us.
"What thing?" Xander asked.
"The scary house?" I asked. "Sounds kinda lame."
"It actually borders on fun," Oz told us. "You have to go through the scary house maze to get to the party. Which is usually worth getting to. Those guys go all out."
"As witnessed last Friday," I told them.
Oz nodded. "Very true."
"There is a party?" Xander asked.
"We didn't tell you?" Willow asked.
"No, it's cool," Xander told us. "You guys got your little college thing. I'm fine. I mean, I got better things to do than tag along to some fraternity."
"You can come," Willow told him.
"Okay," Xander told us. "But only because I lied about having better things to do."
"A blast will be had by all," Oz told us.
Buffy stood. "I'm gonna get going."
"Now?" I asked. "Tonight's still..." I looked at my watch. "Okay, it's a little mature, but still."
"I'm sleepy," Buffy told us. "You guys have fun."
"You want us to come with?" Willow asked.
"No, I'm fine," Buffy told us, walking out, leaving.
Xander stood his head. "Sad Buffy."
"She didn't even touch her pumpkin. It's a freak with no face."
"She's still suffering a little post-Parker depression," I told them.
"Bailing on the Buff," Oz told us. "Does anyone else want to smack that guy?"
Willow, Xander, Oz and I raised our hands.
••••
The next morning, at college, Willow, Buffy and I walked into the dining hall.
"I've got the basics down," Willow told us. "Levitation, charms, glamours. I just feel like I've plateaued wicca-wise."
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College Girl (Book Four, BTVS)
FanfictionZoey Francis is a Slayer, but she is still the same girl with the same needs and the same likes and same everything about her. Except she's going to UC Sunnydale. She is heartbroken when her long-term boyfriend Oz makes his exit, but she's not going...
