Worth the Fight (BTVS fanfic, Book Three)

chapter 3 - Faith, Hope and Trick

Senior year began the year of being able to leave campus to eat lunch. 

On the steps, Willow, Oz and I were waiting for Xander and Cordelia so we could go meet up with Buffy.

Oz and I were calm.

Willow was swaying around, almost nervously, smiling. "I'm giddy. It's the freedom. As Seniors, we can go off-campus now for lunch. It's no longer cutting. It's legal. Heck, it's expected. Wow, it's, uh, also a big step forward, a Senior moment, one that has to be savored." Oz and I looked back to see Cordelia and Xander coming. "You can't just rush into this, you know?" Cordelia and Xander stood on the other side of Willow. Xander and Oz, on either side of Willow, grabbed each of her arms to pull her down the stairs and across the street, with Cordelia and I following them on either side. "Oh!" Willow started to resist, leaning back with all her weight. "No, I can't!" 

Xander and Oz just lifted her by the arms, pulling her harder.

Cordelia smiled.

"You can," I told her. 

 "See, you are," Xander told her.

"Oh, but, no!" Willow told us. "What if they changed the rule without telling? What if they're lying in wait to arrest me, a--and, and throw me in detention and mar my unblemished record?" 

 We reached the other side of the street.

Xander and Oz steadied Willow on the sidewalk.

"Breathe," I told her. "Breathe." 

 Willow took a breath, letting it out, calming herself. "Okay. Hmm..." Oz let go of Willow, taking my hand, leading me forward. I smiled, leaning my head on his shoulder. Xander let go of Willow, putting his arm around Cordelia. We walked into the small park in front of the school. Willow finally relaxed. "This is good. This is...Hey, we're Seniors." The next time she spoke, she spoke with attitude. "Hey, I'm walking here." 

Willow giggled. 

We saw Buffy just inside the park. She had laid out a blanket in the shade of a palm tree by a bench, and was setting out serving plates of food and bottles of drinks. 

 "Ah, Buffy and food," Xander said.

Willow looked from Cordelia and Xander to Oz and me on either side of her. "Maybe you guys shouldn't be too couple-y around Buffy."

"Oh, you mean 'cause of how the only guy that ever like her turned into a vicious killer and had to be put down like a dog?" Cordelia asked.

"Can she cram complex issues into a nutshell, or what?" Xander asked admiringly. 

We came up behind the tree just out of Buffy's view.

"All right, prepare to uncouple," Oz told us. We took a few more steps. "Uncouple."

Cordelia and Xander, Oz and I let go of each other as we came around the tree.

Cordelia and Willow crossed in front of Xander and Oz to stand next to me so Buffy saw us girls on the left, boys on the left. 

"Buff, banned from campus, but not from our hearts," I told her. "How are you and what's for lunch?" 

 Oz climbed onto the bench, sitting on the backrest.

The rest of us knelt on the blanket next to Buffy. 

"Oh, I just threw a few things together," Buffy told us.

"When did you become Martha Stewart?" Cordelia asked, impressed with the food. 

"First of all, Martha Stewart knows jack about hand cut prosciutto," Buffy told us, handing out the drinks.