Drawn to the Dark (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Fanfiction)

Breaking the Ice

"Welcome," the professor said, "to Drama seventy-three. Costuming. We'll be studying period costuming, sewing, and various issues related to tying together fashion and theatre. Your final grade in the class will be based on 2 midterms, a participation grade, and a project in which you and one other person will work together to design and create a costume. I am Professor Jessup. Now I'll pass around your syllabus for the class."

Willow already knew she would like Professor Jessup. She was thin, tan and had long, silver hair. She wore a long, flowing skirt, a somewhat loose tank top, many bracelets and dangly artsy earrings. She had a commanding presence but at the same time appeared soft and caring.

"Here you go," the girl next to Willow whispered, passing the pile of syllabi to her. She seemed shy. Her dark hair contrasted with her fair skin, and her eyes were wide with optimism. Her soft lips formed a pout and she had rosy cheeks.

"Thanks."

"Now I hate ice-breaking games," said Prof. Jessup, "but it will be useful for us to know each other by name. Since this is a costuming class, I'm also going to ask what your favorite clothing to wear is. The class is small, so this shouldn't take long. And then you'll be free to leave. I'll start. My name is Professor Susan Jessup, and I love light fabrics, like the skirt I'm wearing. Next?"

Prof. Jessup turned to the gentleman who sat next to her. He had a shock of blond hair and seemed displeased to be in the class. Probably a drama major doing this to fill his major requirements, Willow thought. Willow herself was in the class because it filled a fine arts requirement, and Willow had always wanted to learn to make her own clothes. Plus, it meant she got to study neat clothes from other periods and free tickets to all the drama department productions.

"I'm Joe and I like t-shirts."

"I'm Elly and I like polyester."

The next three or four people introduced themselves, then the girl who had passed the syllabi to Willow.

"I'm Lara. Pronounced like Laura in the Glass Menagerie. Not Lah-ra. I like black clothes, whatever's clean and comfy. Mostly cotton-y stuff and velvet." Sure enough, Lara was wearing a strappy black tanktop and jean cut-offs that she'd rolled up right above her knee. The tanktop looked kind of awkward on her because it stretched right across her chest, but the black suited her hair, skin and eyes very well. She turned to Willow and smiled.

"I'm Willow. I like warm fuzzies." Professor Jessup smiled, but Joe scowled. Elly and the clan of girls she had with her made grotesque faces revealing their confusion and disgust at Willow's cutesy expression. Willow felt a lump in her throat. There it was, that anxiety she'd felt every time she got up in front of a class in high school. But she'd gotten over that. She was confident! She'd dated a boy in a band, she was a powerful Wiccan, she'd gone to frat parties! Nevertheless, her classmates' faces brought back all the old feelings. Except Lara's. Lara was smiling, her eyes twinkling, like she knew exactly what Willow meant. "You know, sweaters and stuff. I don't always match though," Willow said meekly, looking down at her hands that were folded in her lap.

*****

Tara crossed the quad on her way to meet Willow at the Drama building. She'd just come from a Women's Studies class on body image, and it had been her last class of the day. Drama was Willow's. They'd set up their schedules to parallel so that they would have a lot of free time to spend together.

Tara saw a familiar shape moving towards her from the direction of the drama building, a girl with fiery red hair and a slender frame. Willow! But who was she walking with? A curvy girl dressed all in black, whose long black hair flew out behind her. They seemed to be laughing and talking. Tara ran across the quad to meet them.