"Willow !" Buffy began, "I'm so glad to see you !"
"Hey. How are you ?"
"I'm great now that you're here."
"How come your so... enthusiastic ?"
"Well, since the nurse coming to give my pain killers was the highlight of the day, seeing any human being who is in great health kinda gets me excited."
"Huh ?"
"I'm bored out of my mind."
"Oh. Well, I knew you'd be, so I brought you something. Here you go."
"What is it ?"
"It's my lap-top."
"And you're giving it to me because... ?"
"Well, since you're stuck here all day, I thought that the Net would be kinda entertaining."
"Oh, yeah, great idea ! But the thing is, I really haven't been on the Net that often, so it's kinda unknown to me."
"Oh, well, it's really easy. You do have a phone line here, don't you ? Then you can just plug the modem in there and start surfing. I already got you an e-mail adress, so that's taken care of. I've also signed you in for some chat programs if you want to do things like that. And if you need anything, you just ask me. Well, I gotta bounce, I'm meeting Oz at the Bronze. See you. Have fun !"
"Willow, wait ! How do I get on the chat thingie ?"
"Of course, I totally forgot to tell you about that. Well, you go there on 'Favourites', you just click on 'Chat', and you'll get there. Then this comes up, where you have to enter your login name and your password. Your login name is buffster and your password is... well, I had to pick something easy to remember, so I picked Angel."
" 'Angel' is my password ?"
"Yes."
"And 'buffster' is my login name ?"
"Yes."
"Now what about my e-mail ?"
"Okay, this is gonna take a lot more time that I thouhgt it would, so just let me phone Oz."
After talking to Oz, Willow and Buffy spent hours surfing the Net. Buffy was now understanding everything and was able to get around by herself. A while after Willow left, Buffy started to chat with someone called bite_me.
"Nice name" Buffy typed.
"Nicer than 'buffster'."
"Don't go there. Who are you ?"
"Who are you ?"
"I asked you first."
"I asked you last."
"I'm a teenager. You ?"
"I'm not."
"That's a beginning. I'm a girl, you ?"
"I'm not."
"OK, it's getting late. I gotta go."
"Wanna chat tomorrow ?"
"Sure. When ?"
"10 a.m. Be there."
"I will."
Buffy turned down the computer and went to bed, wondering about this guy. This older guy. This guy who could be a psycho. Wo could be a pervert, a sicko... Who could be a cutie. Get real ! This isn't 'You've Got M@il' ! Oh, by the way, I forgot to check my mail. Well, I really don't think I got any. Oh, wait, maybe I did. No, I didn't. I should sleep now.
Buffy fell asleep almost immediately. The day after, she woke up with Xander sitting in the chair beside her bed.
"Waky, waky." Xander said. "The sun's shining, the birdies are singing, no vamps last night... I'd say it's a beautiful day."
"Xander ?" Buffy asked not really awake. "What are you...?"
"I wanted to suprise you. I know that you get bored around here."
"Oh, well, that's nice. Uh, where's the nurse ?"
"She'll be here in just a sec. How's your leg ?"
"Painful. It's always painful when I wake up."
"Don't they give you morfin or some other pain killer ?"
"Obviously, not enough. So, how are you ?"
"I'm OK. I really miss you, but I'm fine."
"How's Cordelia ?"
"We broke up."
"Again ?! Ah, you'll get back together, you guys always do."
"I don't think we will this time."
"What did you do ?"
"Why do you always have to assume that it's my fault ?"
"I don't know. Well is it ?"
"No, not this time. She's the one who was messing around this time."
"I'm sorry, Xand. I hope you'll work it out."
"I don't know, maybe it's a sign. Maybe we shouldn't try to work it out. Maybe it's really the end."
"I don't know. I suggest you wait for a little while, and then you see what you wanna do, 'kay ?"
"Yeah. Oh, Willow asked me to ask you if you had fun last night. What does she mean by that ?"
"She lend me her lap top and I went on the Net."
"Oh, that's cool. Did you have fun ?"
"Yeah, I met someone."
"Buffy, be careful. Most of those guys are psychos, pervs, sickos..."
"Yeah, I know. This guy I met, he's not a teen."
"What else do you know about him ?"
"Well, that's about the it. Oh, I told him I'd chat with him at 10 ! What time is it ?"
"9.30. Hey, here's the nurse."
"Good morning, Buffy." The nurse said "How's your leg feeling ?"
"Painful."
"Well, that's normal. I'm justy gonna give you a little more pain killers and you should be okay."
"Thank you. Bye."
"Push the button is you need anything."
"I will. Bye now. "
"Bye."
"Man, I thought she'd never leave !" Xander began, "How do you handle this ?"
"I don't, the drugs do. Now let's get online."
"Whatever."
For twenty minutes, Buffy and Xander just surfed, looking for some funny things. Then Buffy logged in the chat room she was at the night before.
" 'Buffster' ? That's your login name ?"
"Hey, I didn't pick it myself ! Anyway, that guy I met, his name's bite_me, which is a lot worse than my name."
"Whatever, Hey, here he is ! I'm bite_me, coo-coo ka-choo. Ask him his real name."
"I can't."
"Why ?"
"He'll ask for mine and I don't wanna tell him my name's Buffy."
"Say your name's Anne. I mean, it's your middle name, isn't it ?"
"Yeah, but I don't..."
"Just do it !"
"Okay !"
Buffy started typing :
"Hey. How R U ?"
"I'm fine. You ?"
"I get around. What's your real name ?"
"What's yours ?"
"Anne. Now tell me yours."
"William."
"People called William mean bad luck for me. Have another name."
"I can't, it's my only name. Why did you choose 'buffster' as a nickname ?"
"I like it."
Xander was reading the whole thing.
"Why didn't you tell him the truth ?" He asked, "I thought you didn't pick it yourself."
"I didn't. But I don't want him to think that I'm totally computer illetarate."
Buffy began typing again. She was starting to get used to the keyboard and was now typing quite fast. William started to ask more questions :
"Where do U live ?"
"CA. You ?"
"Me 2. What town ?"
"Some one Starbucks-town you've probably never heard of. You ?"
"LA."
"I'm originally from LA. Tell me your age."
"No."
"Why ?"
"Don't want to."
"Then I don't wanna chat with you. Bye."
Buffy cut the connection and turned the computer off.
"Buffy," Xander began, "This guy's a psycho. Why won't he tell you his age ?"
"He's probably ten years old and afraid I won't chat with him anymore."
"Yeah. Probably. But what if he's not ?"
"What ?"
"A ten year old. Maybe he's fun. And he lives in LA which is kinda close so if you two become good friends, you could meet each other and everything."
"Yeah, I know, but he doesn't wanna tell me anything about himself."
"Well, just tell him that it isn't fun chating with someone you know nothing about and maybe he'll tell you more."
"Well, it's worth a try."
Buffy and Xander got online again and Buffy finally got some more info about William. He was about 22, loved marshmallows, didn't like pets, had already been all around the world and wasn't a real people person, which was the reason he tried to meet people online. Buffy told him that she had a broken leg and was staying at the hospital, which was the reason she started to surf the Net. Buffy didn't stay online too long, she'd rather spend the day with Xander. After a little while, Xander decided to take her for a walk or a ride outside. She got in the wheelchair and out they went.
"So," Xander said, "How does it feel to go outside ?"
"Wonderful. I haven't been outside since the other night where I fell into the grave."
"Yeah, I know. That's why I took you out. I mean, it may not be as exciting as surfing the Net, but hey, it's me !"
"Don't worry, you're much better than the computer."
"Glad to know that. Oh, I totally forgot, I got you a present."
"Really ? You didn't have to."
"No but I saw it at the mall, and I thought you'd like it. Here you go."
Xander handed Buffy a jewelry box. Buffy opened it and saw a cute silver necklace with a little sun hanging.
"Oh, Xander, It's so cute ! I shouldn't have."
"It's okay, it didn't... I didn't... You like it ?"
"Well, yeah ! Thank you so much ! Why are you doing this ?"
"Hey, you're Buffy, the one who saved my ass a couple of hundred times and who by the way saved the world just as many times !"
"Yeah, but it's supposed to be fruitless. As in 'no fruit for Buffy.' "
"Since when do you play by the rules ?"
"You're right. And anyway, a little necklace won't hurt me."
"Right. Hey, Buffy, I was thinking, you know when you get out of here, maybe you and I can like... you know, go on a date. Maybe. If you want to. "
"Uh, yeah, why not ?"
"Oh, that's okay it was just... Wait a sec. Be kind, rewind."
"I said yes. I mean, it's not like either of us are in a relation ship or anything and with all this sexual tension going on between us, it was bound to happen."
"We're talking about sexual tension. We're having a talk with the words 'sexual tension' and 'us' in the same phrase. Am I dreaming again ? 'Cuz if I am, don't wake me."
"No, you're not dreaming. Hey, um, I'm started to get tired, so maybe we should go back inside, huh ?"
"Oh, right. I didn't mean to wear you out."
They went back inside. After a hour or two, they started to get bored again, so Buffy took out the lap-top and went online again.
"What are you doing ?" Xander asked.
"I wanna go on the Net."
"What for ?"
"Chat."
"Chat ? Oh, with bite_me. Yeah, good idea. How old is he again ? 22 ?"
"Just say you're jealous."
"I'm jealous."
"Don't have to. Hey, here he is."
Buffy started to chat again, and Xander just sat there, reading everything.
"Where were you ?" William typed.
"Out."
"I thought U had a broken leg."
"I do. Wheelchair."
"I don't like wheelchairs. Bad memories."
"I don't like hospitals. Bad memories."
"Are you alone ?"
"Why ?"
"I doubt that you just rolled around by yourself."
"I'm not alone. I'm with a friend."
"Is she reading ?"
"He is."
"Okay. Hey, when R U getting out of the hospital ?"
"A week, why ?"
"Wanna meet me ?"
"Actually, no."
"Why ?"
"Don't feel like it. As far as I know, you could be some psycho looking for some teens to kill."
"I'm not. And anyway, as far as I know, you could be a psycho too."
"I'm not."
"Then since neither of us are psychos, let's meet !"
"Okay. Where ?"
"I dunno. Um, why don't you come to LA ?"
"Sure. I'll go and take a flight right now ! I can't just leave !"
"Well, neither can I. Uh, wait, you know this town, Sunnydale ? I had to go over there to get something tomorrow, but it can wait for a week."
"Yeah, sure, I know the town. Let's meet at the Bronze next Saturday."
"How will I know who you are ?"
"Blue dress. How will I know who you are ?"
"Red shirt, leather jacket."
"I knew someone who used to dress just like that."
"Very popular style."
A week later :
Buffy was anxiously waiting for William at the Bronze. Willow, Oz and Xander were there too, just in case. Buffy had a blue dress on, with knee-high boots. Xander wasn't happy about this. He was supposed to be the first one to go on a date with Buffy. But he wasn't saying anything about it. Finally Buffy spoted someone with a red shirt. She went over to him.
"William ?" She asked, "I'm Buf... I mean Anne."
"I'm not William, " The guy answered, "But I can be if you want me to."
"Make me yack ! God, what's your childhood trauma ?"
She went back to the table and started moping.
"He's not gonna come." Buffy began, "He's never ever gonna come. They never do."
"You've done this before ?" Willow asked, "I mean, meeting people like that ? Oh, by the way, I love your dress."
"No, of course not, I was just dramatizing. Oh, and thanks about the dress. It's... Oh my God !"
"What ?"
"Over there ! Look ! It's Spike ! What the Hell is he doing here ?"
"Spike ?" Xander screamed, "Buffy, go kill him. He's dangerous. He might try to kill me again."
"Don't worry, I'm going."
Buffy started to walk towards him. Spike wouldn't have seen her if she hadn't come to him.
"Slayer ! What the bloody Hell are you doing here ?"
"I live here ! What about you ? I thought you left the country. Why are you back ?"
"I missed the Hellmouth."
"Where's Dru ?"
"I have no idea."
"But weren't you... ?"
"Yeah, yeah, well, I couldn't be bothered to drive back to Brazil and chase a girl that didn't want me."
" 'Kay. You can leave now."
"Why should I leave ?"
" 'Cuz if you don't, you'll fit in an ashtray."
"Calm down, I'm not here to eat. I'm saving that for later. Hey, nice... Oh my God."
"What ?"
"Your dress."
"What's wrong with my dress ?"
"It's blue."
"Yeah, so... Oh my god !"
"Oh my God."
"I can't believe this. Why didn't I get it before ? William, bite_me, red shirt... Man, this is really embarrassing."
"Well, how come I didn't get it ? Buffster, Sunnydale... Hey, you're name's not Anne !"
"It's my middle name. God, I can't believe this. Since when are you a computer persone ?"
"I get bored during the day. And being a vampire and all, I don't meet people that often."
"How come ?"
"Well, I meet people, we start a conversation and then I end up killing them."
"Ew ! Morbid much ! Okay, bye."
"Hey wait !"
"What ?"
"We're supposed to be date, aren't we ? I mean, I didn't come here for nothing."
"You said you had something to do here in Sunnydale."
"Oh, I was just planning on moving back here, so I was looking for an appartement."
"You're moving back here ? Why ?"
"I told you, I miss the Hellmouth. "
"Okay. Um, even though we're supposed to be on a date, can't we sit at my table ? With my friends ?"
"I don't really like your friends. They always look at me like I'm gonna jump on them and kill them."
"Maybe because it's what you usually do."
"Oh. Right."