It hurt when she sat down.

 

The wooden paddle hadn’t left any marks, just reddened her bottom and left her with a dull ache in the posterior.

 

Squirming around in her seat in history, Buffy thought of the night before and felt her face began to heat up until both sets of cheeks were pink. It was almost like she was wearing his mark, only where no one else could see it. But she could feel it, and know who put it there.

 

Buffy squirmed a little more.

 

Behind her, Cordelia poked her in the shoulder and slipped her a piece of paper. “Movie Friday night?” the note read.

 

Buffy was surprised. She thought students were forbidden to leave campus on school holidays. “?” She wrote back.

 

Cordy returned the note a moment later. “Me and Willow and my boyfriend. Well?”

 

If Willow was doing it, it had to be okay, Buffy reasoned.

 

Except for the little fact that she planned to spend Friday night letting the headmaster fuck her ten ways from Tuesday. Even after the little lesson he taught her, she still felt all…naughty.

 

“Come on,” Cordy said to her as they left the classroom. “I hardly ever see you—you’re always off somewhere studying.”

 

“I—studying, yeah, that’s—I just want to make sure I do okay,” Buffy babbled, beginning to panic.

 

“Yeah, so you deserve a night out,” pointed out Cordelia reasonably. “Honestly, sometimes I wonder about you.”

 

People were wondering about her? That just wasn’t good. “I’ll go,” Buffy said glumly.

 

Cordelia laughed at her. “Don’t sound so depressed! And you never know, you might even enjoy yourself.”

 

~*~*~*~

 

She couldn’t talk to him that day—he was in meetings all day, followed by the monthly dinner meeting of the school’s governing board. It wasn’t until Thursday that she could talk to him about it, and things didn’t seem as bad then.

 

It was her least favorite time of the month, and they couldn’t have had any fun on Friday anyway.

 

She slipped into his office when his secretary was at lunch. He was staring out the window when she came in, his chin resting on his hand, and he looked delicious.

 

“Is this okay?” she asked worriedly—she wasn’t sure how he felt about her coming into his office. Don’t think coming! She berated herself.

 

“Of course—is something wrong, Buffy?” he asked in surprise. She hadn’t been in his office since he’d called her in to take her to town.

 

“I just wanted to—” Buffy broke off, uncharacteristically shy.

 

“What, baby?” he asked, his gaze lingering on her face.

 

She couldn’t repress a shiver. He was using his sex voice! No fair, it was making her weak in the knees. “CanIgotothemoviestomorrownight?”

 

“Hmm?” He blinked at her.

 

“Movies! With Cordelia and Willow.”

 

“Of course, lamb. Don’t need to ask me for permission for that.”

 

“You—you don’t mind?” Buffy asked nervously.

 

“Not at all—you should spend time with kids your own age,” he answered honestly.

 

Buffy sighed with relief. “Okay, then—see you next week,” she said briskly, marching out.

 

Next week? He thought in surprise. That was a long ways off. Was she mad at him? Upset about the paddling? That couldn’t be, she’d loved it.

 

Sick of him?

 

“Oh,” William muttered stupidly.

 

He felt nauseated. He had no right to be upset, no right at all. She was seventeen and sowing her wild oats.

 

“God,” he muttered, burying his head in his hands.

 

~*~*~*~

 

“That’s what you’re wearing?” asked Cordy with evident disapproval.

 

Buffy turned to her in surprise. “What? What’s wrong with it?”

 

“It’s one step about sackcloth and ashes!” protested Cordy.

 

Buffy ignored her. She always felt like swathing herself in big, loose clothes when she was having her period. If it was cold enough to wear her big winter coat out, she would have been delighted. If she had her way, she would have just stayed in bed.

 

“I like it,” said Buffy stubbornly.

 

Cordy rolled her eyes. “Fine,” she said, grabbing a sweater. “Come on, Xander’s probably here by now.”

 

They met Willow in the lounge and hurried downstairs.

 

Parked in front of the dorm was a huge convertible with a beaming dark-haired boy in the driver’s seat. “Cool, huh? It’s my uncle’s,” he said proudly.

 

“Well, it’s better than the station wagon you usually drive,” Cordy dismissed.

 

Xander glared at her. “That station wagon has some advantages,” he pointed out. “Some advantages you’ve enjoyed. Hey, Willow,” he added.

 

“In your dreams, Harris,” sniffed Cordy, settling into the front seat beside Xander while Buffy and Willow seated themselves in the back. “This is Buffy,” she added negligently. “Buffy, this is Xander, my pathetic loser boyfriend.”

 

“Very happy to meet you,” Xander assured Buffy. “Grateful, even.”

 

Cordelia glared at him. “Ha. Ha. Drive.”

 

Buffy sighed. It was going to be a long night.

 

~*~*~*~

 

“Drop us off in front,” instructed Cordelia as the car slowed in front of a big, well-lit movie theater. “We’ll get the tickets while you park.”

 

Xander had just driven off when Cordy made a production out of noticing two boys lingering in front. She exclaimed, “Wow! What a coincidence, seeing you here!”

 

Buffy and Willow turned to Cordy in surprise. That was the fakest voice Buffy had ever heard anyone use, even worse than her Aunt Thelma’s phone voice. As the boys came up to the three girls, smiling broadly, Buffy suppressed a groan.

 

It was a set-up.

 

“Willow, this is Oz…he’s smart, and much less of a geek than you’d expect,” said Cordy persuasively, pointing to a short boy with blue hair. Next to him with a tall, powerfully-built young man with dark hair that stuck straight up. “And Buffy, this is Angel! He’s the quarterback of the local school’s football team,” she praised. “He’s not nearly as much of a loser as the others.”

 

Buffy frowned at Cordy. If she wanted a date, she could get one herself. And if Angel was so great, why wasn’t Cordy going out with him herself?

 

That reason was soon apparent to Buffy; Cordy may have bitched and complained about her boyfriend, but she was obviously crazy about him. As soon as the kids went into the theater Cordy and Xander went off to a secluded corner to be alone, while Oz made odd, funny remarks to Willow and Angel stared at Buffy blankly.

 

Well, not blankly. Maybe…soulfully? Like he had a big secret and life was difficult, and he needed a confidante. The only thing was, she wasn’t interested. At the snack bar she was so cranky at the setup and Angel’s big moon eyes that she ordered Raisinettes and Snow Caps, a large soda, and the biggest box of popcorn they had without even thinking. When they took their seats in the theater, she remembered she didn’t especially like popcorn. Dammit!

 

Angel, as soulful as his looks were, still lost no time in slipping his arm around her shoulder. Buffy shrugged a couple of times, but he didn’t take the message. Jerk.

 

But he surprised her by being a perfect gentleman during the movie. Since he’d brought her about fifteen dollars’ worth of snacks, Buffy turned to him near the end of the film to thank him. And also to offer him the rest of the popcorn, which she’d hardly touched. And that was when he kissed her.

 

Well, it wasn’t a kiss, really. She liked kissing. This was more like…running into a solid wall of tongue. If she’d never been kissed before, it probably would have put her off it for life.

 

Buffy jerked back in annoyance. “Have some popcorn,” she snapped, slamming the box into his chest and getting up. She squeezed by Willow and her impromptu date and sat down on the other side of Oz. The pale boy gave her a sympathetic look.

 

Further down the row, Angel started to get up, but Buffy sent him such a freezing glance that he sat back down.

 

She sat there grinding her teeth. All in all, it was a great night—her period and Attack of the Tongue Monster from some guy she didn’t even know.

 

Man, Cordelia was going to hear about this later.

 

~*~*~*~

 

As soon as Cordelia was asleep Buffy threw on some clothes and slipped out of the dormitory. God, even if they couldn’t do anything, she wanted to sit on William’s lap and have him put his arms around her and squeeze her until she felt better. Stupid night, stupid period, stupid Cordelia, stupid Angel!

 

Buffy listened for a moment outside William’s door to make sure he didn’t have company, then hurried inside. “Willia—”

 

William shrieked and jumped out of his chair. “My god, what are you doing?” he exclaimed, putting down his glass and wiping off the traces of Scotch that had spilled onto his shirt when he’d jumped. Not that he was drowning his sorrows or anything. Really.

 

She ran up to him without a word and wrapped her arms around his middle, squeezing him.

 

He slipped one arm around her and stroked her silky hair with his free hand. “What is it, baby?” he asked softly. He was still surprised by her appearance. The fact that she even came to him again. He’d thought—he’d thought—

 

“It was just—it was horrible,” blurted out Buffy, rubbing her cheek against his shirt.

 

“What was?” he asked against her hair. She shuddered and pushed him away, and for a moment he went cold again.

 

But she kept pushing him until he was sitting on the couch, and she crawled into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in the curve of his neck.

 

Mmm. He smelled like…him.

 

“What is it?” he whispered cautiously.

 

“It’s a horrible week!” Buffy exclaimed. “First I get my period, then Cordy springs some jerk on me tonight as a surprise date, then he shoves his tongue down my throat, and I can’t sleep with you for days,” she ranted.

 

Ahhh. “Because of your period?” he asked sympathetically, and she nodded. “Oh…sweetheart,” he whispered, nuzzling her hair. He was trying not to smile, but it was hard. She was so sweet, so dear.

 

And so naïve.

 

“Oh, sweetheart,” he repeated. “You really do have a lot to learn.”

 

She raised her head and looked at him, curious.

 

That look was there in his eyes…like he could eat her up. That look thrilled her.

 

“Show me,” she pleaded.

 

She knew he would.

 

Chapter Fourteen
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