6: Main Hallway, Sunnydale High School
Cordelia heard Buffy call her name just as she was shutting her locker. “I don’t have time to talk.”
“Your new boyfriend can wait a few,” Buffy instinctively positioned herself with her back to the exit as if guessing Cordelia would try to make a break for it.
“Say what you have to say,” Cordelia huffed at the delay as she glanced down at her watch. She would have to haul butt to get there on time even without interruption.
There was no avoiding whatever lecture was coming her way.
“Look, I’m telling you this as a friend,” her words immediately alerted Cordelia’s inner defenses to call for reinforcements. “You’re not giving yourself enough time. Not with wanting to patrol and not with jumping into another relationship.”
“Was Scott just a distraction for you? I seem to recall that you dropped him fast enough once Angel turned up again.”
Buffy felt the impact of those words just as if Cordelia had thrust a stake into her chest. She opened her mouth as if to deny it, but had no time to respond.
“Drooling over Angel is not good for your health,” Cordelia commented. “Think of the tragedy. If I end up with a zit because of the stress, it is so your fault.”
“Say what?” Buffy practically squeaked in reaction. “And that’s a tragedy?”
“I want to look good at my funeral,” Cordelia explained matter-of-factly. “That’s what’ll happen if Angelus shows up again, and I don’t want people seeing a gigantic zit on my chin as they stare into my coffin.”
Looking all scowly-faced, Buffy finally blurted, “Whatever.”
“Just promise not to bone your boyfriend so I can relax a little. Sheesh! Neither one of you knows when to quit.”
After a scary moment when Buffy looked like she might launch an all-out attack, a soft admission sounded, “I did quit.”
“Wha—huh? You quit Angel? I definitely missed that memo,” Cordelia quipped hardly believing it was true. Not for a second. Hell freezing over had more of a chance.
“Angel was supposed to back off,” Buffy revealed her frustration over the fact that he had not exactly followed along with her plan. “You’re right. We can’t keep seeing each other. It’s too dangerous.”
“Duh!”
Unshed tears sparkled in Buffy’s eyes and Cordelia honestly tried to feel sorry for her, but she could not seem to manage it. Though it did shed a little light on why those two had not been quite as demonstrative as they used to be.
“I don’t trust myself when I’m around him.”
“Who am I, Confession Girl?” Cordelia really did not want to hear this. “Tell Angel. He’s your problem, not mine.”
“Yeah.”
Cordelia had enough problems of her own without worrying about Buffy’s failed romance with Angel. Stepping around her while she was distracted, she paused only long enough to point out, “You need him around with this prophecy thing going on. Just find a way to deal.”