Quarterback (Part 1/3)
Title: Quarterback (Part 1/3)
Creator: TheFoxinator
Rating: T
Setting: Season seven, between 7.06 "Him" and 7.07 "Conversations with Dead People."
Summary/Prompt: Conkers: Hound of the Scoobyvilles (fluff)
Word Count: 771
Part Two
Part Three
It’s not even second period and now that Wood’s door is closed, Buffy’s this close to trying to beat her high score for pencil cup forehead balance. She may be a breath of fresh pep, but that doesn’t really matter if there aren’t any students coming around to see her.
Then the quarterback shows up.
Buffy leans back in her chair and waits for him to saunter into Wood’s office to deny whatever allegation has been thrown at him this time, but instead he looks around nervously before slinking over to her desk.
Oh boy.
Buffy puts on her best patient counsellor face. “R.J. Brooks.”
“Hey, Buffy. Uh, Miss Summers,” he corrects himself. He stands at the outer edge of her desk, like he’s ready to bolt. “I haven’t seen you in a while.”
Oh, god, if this little creepy thinks she’s actually into him there is going to be a very high possibility of pummelage.
“Your sister hasn’t been talking to me.”
“You came all the way up here to ask why Dawn wouldn’t give you another date?” Buffy leans forward on her desk. “I think you can figure this one out.”
She knows she might be veering out of professionalism fast enough to impress even her friends, but she’s still glad to watch R.J. squirm a little in his new letter jacket and looks back over his shoulder. “You’re the only counsellor here?”
“Yep. You’ll have to deal with me.”
R.J. hesitates a few moments longer, then shuffles over to the chair opposite her desk and sinks into it. Then he stares at her nameplate and doesn’t say anything.
“Who sent you up here?” Buffy asks.
“Mr. Miller said I was being a distraction.”
“Were you?”
“I dunno. Maybe.” R.J. looks up at her defiantly. “Not like it takes much to be more interesting than Mr. Miller’s lessons. Uh, but it’s not like it’s my fault. This other guy… ” He trails off and seems to swallow back his words.
“What other guy?” Buffy asks.
“Some guy. I dunno. Whatever. Can I go now?”
That love spell must have had some serious mojo to make her actually attracted to this guy.
“No, you can’t.” Buffy does her best to meet his eyes but R.J. won’t look back. “Tell me about the guy, R.J.”
R.J. spends a while fiddling with his new jacket and staring out the window behind Buffy’s head before, finally, he asks, “How do you know if you’re going crazy?”
xxxxxxx
She meets Xander for lunch in his portable and fills him in as they eat.
“Maybe we should wait to investigate until this ghost starts harassing people who aren’t jerks,” Xander says. “Just to offer up an idea.”
Buffy swallows her current mouthful and puts her sandwich back on Xander’s desk. “Getting a little vengeance-y, there, Xand.”
“Yeah.” He dusts off his sleeve. “Guess it rubs off, huh?”
Buffy sips her soda slowly. “I’ve been thinking a bad thought.”
“Oh, Buffy, come on. It was just a spell.”
“Not about R.J.!” God, Xander’s bad might out-bad her bad. Except she’s actually thinking her bad. “We’re dealing with more ghosts in the new high school. And who knows the high school ghosts better than anyone else?”
It’s… nice, weirdly, to see how not pleased with her plan Xander is. Even if they’ve rarely gotten along well and Xander’s had more than a few comments about Spike’s failure to return to the world of hygiene, his expression is still very reluctant. “We already used him as a bloodhound. Now he’s gonna be a ghosthound too?” He grins a little but doesn’t seem entertained by his own humour. “I dunno, Buffy. We just got him out of here. It can’t be good for him.”
“I know.”
“Are we even sure it’s actually a ghost? Maybe he just fell asleep in class and dreamed it.”
Buffy picks her sandwich back up. “I definitely slept through my share of Mr. Miller’s classes. He’s not the most exciting teacher there is.”
“Really? I thought he was funny.”
“But it’s not just there. R.J. said he’s been seeing this guy at football practice too. He says he keeps yelling at him and trying to kick him off the team. Now he’s starting to follow him into actual school.” She shifts to tuck her foot more underneath her. “I don’t want anyone else to get hurt, though.”
“But no one has gotten actually hurt yet, right? Just R.J.’s feelings and pride. Which is something I am comfortable sacrificing, for the record.”
“I just can’t the chance. I don’t even know where to start otherwise.”
Creator: TheFoxinator
Rating: T
Setting: Season seven, between 7.06 "Him" and 7.07 "Conversations with Dead People."
Summary/Prompt: Conkers: Hound of the Scoobyvilles (fluff)
Word Count: 771
Part Two
Part Three
It’s not even second period and now that Wood’s door is closed, Buffy’s this close to trying to beat her high score for pencil cup forehead balance. She may be a breath of fresh pep, but that doesn’t really matter if there aren’t any students coming around to see her.
Then the quarterback shows up.
Buffy leans back in her chair and waits for him to saunter into Wood’s office to deny whatever allegation has been thrown at him this time, but instead he looks around nervously before slinking over to her desk.
Oh boy.
Buffy puts on her best patient counsellor face. “R.J. Brooks.”
“Hey, Buffy. Uh, Miss Summers,” he corrects himself. He stands at the outer edge of her desk, like he’s ready to bolt. “I haven’t seen you in a while.”
Oh, god, if this little creepy thinks she’s actually into him there is going to be a very high possibility of pummelage.
“Your sister hasn’t been talking to me.”
“You came all the way up here to ask why Dawn wouldn’t give you another date?” Buffy leans forward on her desk. “I think you can figure this one out.”
She knows she might be veering out of professionalism fast enough to impress even her friends, but she’s still glad to watch R.J. squirm a little in his new letter jacket and looks back over his shoulder. “You’re the only counsellor here?”
“Yep. You’ll have to deal with me.”
R.J. hesitates a few moments longer, then shuffles over to the chair opposite her desk and sinks into it. Then he stares at her nameplate and doesn’t say anything.
“Who sent you up here?” Buffy asks.
“Mr. Miller said I was being a distraction.”
“Were you?”
“I dunno. Maybe.” R.J. looks up at her defiantly. “Not like it takes much to be more interesting than Mr. Miller’s lessons. Uh, but it’s not like it’s my fault. This other guy… ” He trails off and seems to swallow back his words.
“What other guy?” Buffy asks.
“Some guy. I dunno. Whatever. Can I go now?”
That love spell must have had some serious mojo to make her actually attracted to this guy.
“No, you can’t.” Buffy does her best to meet his eyes but R.J. won’t look back. “Tell me about the guy, R.J.”
R.J. spends a while fiddling with his new jacket and staring out the window behind Buffy’s head before, finally, he asks, “How do you know if you’re going crazy?”
xxxxxxx
She meets Xander for lunch in his portable and fills him in as they eat.
“Maybe we should wait to investigate until this ghost starts harassing people who aren’t jerks,” Xander says. “Just to offer up an idea.”
Buffy swallows her current mouthful and puts her sandwich back on Xander’s desk. “Getting a little vengeance-y, there, Xand.”
“Yeah.” He dusts off his sleeve. “Guess it rubs off, huh?”
Buffy sips her soda slowly. “I’ve been thinking a bad thought.”
“Oh, Buffy, come on. It was just a spell.”
“Not about R.J.!” God, Xander’s bad might out-bad her bad. Except she’s actually thinking her bad. “We’re dealing with more ghosts in the new high school. And who knows the high school ghosts better than anyone else?”
It’s… nice, weirdly, to see how not pleased with her plan Xander is. Even if they’ve rarely gotten along well and Xander’s had more than a few comments about Spike’s failure to return to the world of hygiene, his expression is still very reluctant. “We already used him as a bloodhound. Now he’s gonna be a ghosthound too?” He grins a little but doesn’t seem entertained by his own humour. “I dunno, Buffy. We just got him out of here. It can’t be good for him.”
“I know.”
“Are we even sure it’s actually a ghost? Maybe he just fell asleep in class and dreamed it.”
Buffy picks her sandwich back up. “I definitely slept through my share of Mr. Miller’s classes. He’s not the most exciting teacher there is.”
“Really? I thought he was funny.”
“But it’s not just there. R.J. said he’s been seeing this guy at football practice too. He says he keeps yelling at him and trying to kick him off the team. Now he’s starting to follow him into actual school.” She shifts to tuck her foot more underneath her. “I don’t want anyone else to get hurt, though.”
“But no one has gotten actually hurt yet, right? Just R.J.’s feelings and pride. Which is something I am comfortable sacrificing, for the record.”
“I just can’t the chance. I don’t even know where to start otherwise.”