12. [voice]

[guiltapalooza]

I-- I got so used to Spike on here, that I forgot that... that the one in Sunnydale isn't like that. [Willow sounds blank, like she's been strong emotion'd out.] I didn't forget forget, but it's different when you see it and have a broken bottle held to your neck and are stuck hostage in an abandoned factory and, and--

[Her voice breaks and turns

Comments

[cuzitswrong]

I know this is probably the last thing you want to hear, but... this might be one of those situations where he needs some space. For processing. I think there's a lot of... processing that needs to go down.

[guiltapalooza]

I know. You're right, and... you're right. There is a lot of processing. Maybe I'll just focus on studying for the SATs again. Why do they make you wait so long to retake it? It's torture.

[cuzitswrong]

That doesn't mean you have to make with the avoiding either. Unless you're deadset on it, in which case, I can blab about standardized testing with the best of 'em.

[guiltapalooza]

I don't want to avoid, but I'm going a little crazy... not avoiding. Sitting in my room staring at the Pez dispenser he gave me just doesn't seem like it'll lead to good times and progress.

So standardized testing it might be.

[cuzitswrong]

Maybe you should try putting that somewhere where you're not going to feel the urge to stare. Like under the bed! Or in a drawer.

I suppose I should probably study for those. Ever.

[guiltapalooza]

A drawer would probably be good. Okay... okay. It's drawered.

But you did great last time, Buffy! Obviously you should take them again, I mean, like I told Rita, colleges like to see that you're committed. But I don't think you have much to worry about. If you ramp up the studying, you could probably raise your score fifty points easily!

[cuzitswrong]

Or I could leave the ramping to the experts. I'm pretty sure no matter how much more I tried to cram in my head, more would just leak out the other ear.

[guiltapalooza]

There would be no leaking. You're really smart - I know you could do it if you wanted to.

Unless you don't want to? I'm prepared to be behind the-- well, I'm not prepared, exactly. It would be challenging for me to be all, "boo, school", but if you're being "boo, school", I'll be behind you.

[cuzitswrong]

You don't have to break out the boos, I promise, but I'm not gonna say to start in with the yays yet, either.

[guiltapalooza]

Well, let me know. I can boo and yay on cue. I want to be there for you. Everything is... a lot, right now, for all of us.

[cuzitswrong]

It's seems like that's always the case, for all of us.

[guiltapalooza]

We get vacations sometimes! For... a period of a couple days, maybe, but we get them.

We have to, right? I don't remember signing away my vacation time.

[cuzitswrong]

I don't think we so much got a contract, Will.

[guiltapalooza]

Not even a contract? We should look into forming a union. A union for protecting the rights of world savers.

[cuzitswrong]

Maybe we could lobby for a coffee machine in the break room.

[guiltapalooza]

How much do you think Giles would kill us if we put a coffee machine in the library?