Unknown Factors (Book One)

Ch.72: Now its over

  Stuffing my face with cereal, I was packing my lunch of five PB&Js and random snacks in between scoops. I had work to get to, and since I no longer worked at the Doublemeat Palace, I had to bring my lunch or go out and buy it during the break. The night before, Buffy and I had even taken Dawn out patrolling with us to give her some basic lessons. Buffy had given her a rundown on vampire slaying, and she sounded a lot like Giles while spouting her wisdom.

  As for Pops, after the incident with Willow, he had taken the witch back to England with him for a bit of rehab. I also learned that Buffy had spilled to him about the thing between Spike and I, and Pops seemed to have....burst out laughing at it. I wasn't sure why, but Buffy told me that from that point on neither of them could stop laughing as she told him everything that had happened since he left before.

  Scooping more cereal into my mouth, I dropped the spoon back into the bowl and zipped up my lunchbox.

  "How exactly do you 'make' cereal?"

  "Ah, you put the box near the milk." Buffy and Xander were talking as they walked into the kitchen. "I saw it on the food channel. Want something?"

  "Thanks, I'm good. How are you?"

  "My sister is about to go to the same high school that tried to kill me for 3 years, I can't change districts, I can't afford private school, and I can't begin to prepare her for what could possibly come out of there." Buffy replied.

  "....Was it that bad?" I asked after swallowing. "I mean, I saw how the school used to be all burnt out and with mayor guts everywhere, but...." I trailed off.

  "One of the principals was eaten by a group of students possessed by hyena demon spirits." Buffy sipped her coffee.

  "Well, here's something good for what ails ya." Xander waved the rolled-up plans he was holding. I only knew what they were because I could see the faint outlines of the architectural schematics.

  "Oh, got the rest?"

  "Take a look." And the two went to the dining room where there was more space to check the plans. Drinking the milk from my bowl, I then took it to the sink and rinsed it out.

  "Morning, Aud."

  "Morning, Dawn." I nodded to her as she walked in and grabbed a bowl from the cabinet. "Any first-day jitters?"

  "Let's say my nerves are bleh." She grabbed a box of cereal, and I went around her to grab my lunch.

  "I don't know much about high school, but from the movies, I'd tell you to stay away from any horde of girls wearing an absurd amount of pink and or makeup. Don't talk to jocks shoving kids into lockers, either, they're total assholes no matter what they look like."

  "Aud, those movies aren't based on real life." Dawn chuckled while pouring her milk.

  "That's what they said about monsters, and look at our life- nothing but demons and ex-demons and half-demons and-"

  "Got it, Aud."

  "Good." I smiled while pointing before going into the dining room.

  "There are no pentagrams, no secret passageways, everything's up to code, and safe as houses." Xander was saying.

  "Nothing creepy? Strange? From the beyond?" Buffy asked, and Dawn did too as she came in, but her mouth was full of cereal, and I didn't understand it.

  "Well, there is one interesting detail. I....managed to scale up the plans from the old high school- Remember where Sunnydale's very own Hellmouth was?"