Worth the Fight (BTVS fanfic, Book Three)

chapter 8 - Lover's Walk

We got our SAT scores back today.

At school, outside, Oz, Cordelia and I walked toward Xander and Willow. 

"You guys get your scores?" Cordelia asked. 

Xander let go of Willow, standing. "Cordelia!" He pointed at Willow. "Willow was very sad by her academic failure." He reached for Cordelia's score report. "How did you do?" He took it from her, unfolding it, reading it. "This is not good." 

"What's not good?" Cordelia asked.

I sat next to Willow, taking her score report to read. 

"Well, I'm just worried it may hurt my standing as campus stud when people find out I'm dating a brain," Xander told her. 

 Cordelia took the scores from him. "Please. I have 'some experience in covering these things up."

I read Willow's freaking high SAT scores, looking at her, being sarcastic. "Well, I can see why you'd be upset." 

I gave her a look.

Willow took her scores back. "Not the time for sarcasm, Zo."

"We should celebrate, do something," Oz told us.

"Oh, I can't," Willow told us. "I have to..." 

"If you say 'do homework'..." I trailed off.

"It's a project, not homework," Willow told me. 

I chuckled. "What kind of project?" 

"A project with the name 'None of your business'," Willow told me.

I raised my eyebrows at her in surprise, chuckling. "I'm guessing that means witchcraft." 

"I'm practicing," Willow told me. "Shut up." 

I smiled, looking at Cordelia, Xander and Oz. "That doesn't mean that we can't." 

"Like, the four of us?" Cordelia asked, giving Xander a look, shaking her head, mouthing, 'No.'

Xander ignored her. "A double date. It could have potential." 

Buffy walked up the steps from the street, long looking. 

"Buffy," Willow said. "Hey. Did you get your SAT scores?" 

 Buffy nodded weakly. 

"By the look on your face, I'm guessing you and I are gonna be manning the drive-through window side by side," Xander told her. 

Willow looked at me. "Hey, what did you get? You looked at mine, time for me to look at yours."

I smiled a small smile, keeping on a poker face, rolling my eyes, handing her my test scores. 

"They're just test scores, right?" Buffy asked, handing hers to Willow. "What do they really mean, anyway?" 

Willow unfolded both of them, reading them side by side, instantly excited. She looked at me. "1560!" She looked at Buffy. "1430! Guys, you kicked ass!" I raised my eyebrows at her. Buffy's eyes went wide in surprise. Willow calmed down. "Okay." She folded them. "So academic achievement gets me a little excited." 

I handed my scores to Oz. 

Oz smiled. "Zo, that's amazing." 

"Let me see those," Cordelia told us, taking the scores. 

"Yeah," Xander said. "With scores like that, you guys can apply pretty much anywhere you want." 

"Buffy, Zoey, this could, like, change your whole future," Willow told us.