Sister, Sister (Book Five, BTVS)

chapter 4 - Out of My Mind

UC Sunnydale was filled with students walking around, talking and studying.

Willow, Buffy and I walked through the halls.

"You can't possibly be arguing that Marat didn't betray the French Revolutionaries," Willow told us. "This was the guy who declared the rights of man, and then the next thing you know, he's... killing Girondin like it's going out of style."

"Will, you're totally missing my point," I told her. "Now, I agreed that Marat wasn't a real martyr, but the death in the tub... the neck wound, all that blood, just a little more fang-y than knife-y. I mean, Charlotte Corday wasn't a real martyr, either, but..."

Buffy realized something. "Guys."

Buffy turned to face Willow and me.

Willow and I spoke together. "What?"

Buffy smiled. "Listen to you. You're--you're arguing. You're having a debate about a college lecture." She looked at me. "You are turning into quite the student."

I smiled. "So are you. I mean, Slayer studying or not, that's pretty much all you do anymore."

"Oh, I know," Buffy told us.

Willow smiled. "I have dreamt of this day since... forever. Should I be watching my occipital lob?"

"Your what?" Buffy asked.

"Occipital," Willow answered, pointing to her head. "The lobe in the back of your brain. You know, like, 'Should I be watching my back?' But, you know, the... back of your brain."

Willow sighed.

"Apparently not," I told her. "Don't worry, Will, you still wear the smarty-pants in the family."

"I don't know," Willow told us. "You two have been studying... really a lot."

"I'm trying," Buffy told us. "But they're really piling on the reading, and Giles fills any free time we have with extra training... I'm starting to think this working hard is hard work."

I smiled in amusement. "Isn't it crazy like that?"

"I thought it was gonna be like in the movies," Buffy told us. "You know, inspirational music... a montage, sharpening pencils, reading, writing, falling asleep on a pile of books with glasses all crooked, 'cause in my montage, I have glasses." Willow and I nodded. "But real life is slow, and it's starting to hurt my occipital lobe."

"Oh, poor Buffy's brain," Willow told her sympathetically, patting Buffy on the head.

"Actually, we're heading to training now," I told her. "Do you wanna come with?"

"I'm in," Willow answered. We started walking. "Maybe we can argue some more about the French Revolution. Hey. Wasn't that Robespierre the coolest?"

"Robespierre?" I repeated. "You're kidding me, right?"

Willow smiled. "I'm just getting it started."

        •••••    

We knocked on the door to the Magic Box.

Giles opened the door.

I smiled. "Trick or treat."

"Hello, the three of you, come on in," Giles told us.

"Thank you, kind proprietor," Willow told him.

Willow, Buffy and I walked in, looking around.

Anya, Xander and Tara were already here, trying to get the store ready.