Interlude 4: Coping Mechanisms
The motley group of teens end up taking the city bus to the mall, the gift cards already split up among them. With only Amy frustrated at what seems like a waste of time, she suggests they split up.
"I don't really need any new clothes. But I need to get a..." Amy's lips quirk oddly as she tries to think of a mundane word. "Present for my mom. Can one of you big strong men help me carry it?"
"Jesse's taller!" Blurts out Xander as soon as physical labour is mentioned, throwing his best pal under the bus.
Annoyed, Jesse fires back with his own measurements. "You weigh forty pounds more than I do."
"Who almost 'beat up' Larry today?" Counters the slightly heavier boy, his dark curls shaking along with the chuckles. "Think that makes you the strong one here. What say you Yehonatan?"
It takes the shortest boy a moment to remember Willow had translated everyone's names into Hebrew. But when he does, Jonathon has no shame giving him the thumbs up.
"I know I'm never going to do that." Before he can feel to bad about it, Marcie gives hives hand a supportive squeeze.
"Harris one, McNally zilch." Glad to settle another pointless argument between her boys, Willow leads her charge inside the mall.
Rushing after the girls with Jonathon and Marcie only a few steps behind him, Xander practically cackles over his shoulder. "First ones done have to save a table near the Cinnabon!"
"You know this means you two get to carry our bags, don't you?" With a teasing grin, Marcie Ross revels in being part of a group.
This makes Xander stop, hands resting on his hips as the shaggy haired brunette realizes something. "I know why he has to. But what's in it for me?"
"The gratitude of someone cooler than all of us." Rolling his eyes, Jonathon brings up who she was talking to when they met. "Because I'm pretty sure Devon would have been just fine driving her here."
"He was pretty persistent," Admits the extremely nervous Angel as she starts picking at the dry skin of around her nails. "He even invited me to something called the Bronze?"
Blinking at the news, Willow notices a few cheerleaders going into a shoe store and her voice gets squeaky. "Are you sure you want to be seen with us?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Overwhelmed by all the attention, Angel only wishes she had this many friends before meeting Father Caleb.
I never would have left with him.
Not bothering to sugarcoat it, Marcie lays out the pecking order. "Because once you're seen out in public with us, that reputation is as good as dead."
"I've had more than enough attention." Face paling, Angel flashes back to being on the news when Allen was in his coma. "I'd just like to make some friends. But I don't think Amy really likes me."
"She's just going through something right now. It's got nothing to do with you, I promise." Willow assures the older teen, while trying not to look completely lost in the goth clothing store.
Blinking at the choice of clothes, Jonathon finds a flaw in Angel's plan. "None of this stuff is going to help you blend in."
"But no one will really be looking at me once I'm wearing it. Angel gets all the attention and she's the brave one." With a smile full of regret, the runaway uses the money Allen gave her to replace her entire wardrobe.
Willow quickly rejects anything form fitting. But both Marcie and her boyfriend end up grabbing a few things. With the blushing Jonathon very interested in how short the skirt was.
Eventually Xander decides it's not charity and allows himself to pick out a few dress shirts of a far higher quality than his usual Hawaiians.
Just need to put them on once I leave the house, so Dad doesn't throw a fit thinking I have any money.
"How about this Willow?" Holding up a corset style leather top, Marcie smirks at how quickly the nerd looks like a tomato. "What, too low cut?"
"Too everything!" Flustered at the idea of showing so much skin, the redhead just tries to keep it together until they can eat.
Not ready to give up in her attempt to push Willow, Marcie gets a salacious look in her eye. "So should we go look at the underwear instead? Only you'll know what you're wearing."
"Uh..." Realizing things are suddenly taking a turn for the uncomfortable, Xander pokes his fellow male in the ribs. "I think we should go get that table now."
The shorter boy nods fervently, only for Willow to quickly put a stop to such an idea. "I already have a drawer full!"
"That was way too easy." Rolling her eyes at her friends stammering, Marcie hands her boyfriend a red and black flannel shirt.
"Underwear isn't for the showing of people." An incredibly pale Willow shakes her head back and forth as if her life depended on it.
"And that's why you haven't gone a date since first grade." Bringing up the stolen Barbie incident, Marcie teases her genius friend with a warm grin.
Eyes suddenly wide, Xander's whisper to Jonathon is just loud enough to be overheard. "You saw Marcie's underwear already?"
Instead of answering smugly like Jesse would have, Jonathon just smirks mysteriously. This only frustrates a curious Xander even more and he almost starts whining.
"Dude?" The entire walk to the Cinnabon is filled with never answered pleading.
"And that's why you haven't had one in just as long," Groans Willow as even she tires of her crushes behaviour.
Approaching the Jesse and the table he already claimed with Amy, Xander can't help but point. "What, you think I should try throwing myself at everyone? Hasn't worked out for him yet."
"Uh, Jess?" Willow can't help but notice the new additions to the lanky teens wardrobe. "What's with all the... stuff?"
Her eyes bounce between the various good luck charms being worn. From the rabbits feet on each belt loop to a bracelet made of woven four leaf clovers, Jesse seems to have a new obsession.
"You don't like it?" Frowning at her tone, Jesse holds up the silver horseshoe necklace. "I figured it couldn't hurt."
"He already got yelled at for throwing salt over his shoulder." Scowling at her bag carrier, Amy manages to hide her book before Angel sees the cover. "I definitely picked the wrong one."
Despite the tone, Willow notices Amy is also wearing something she hadn't when they split up. "New earrings?"
"Uh..." Turning pink, the witch in training grabs one of the brass acorns dangling from her lobe. "It was the only thing Jesse suggested that didn't look stupid. I guess the luck couldn't hurt."
"That's what I thought. So I got one for each of you." Grinning like he's the smartest man on Earth, Jesse hands out a good luck charm to each of his friends.
Even Angel gets one, holding up the intricate dream catcher with misty eyes. "Thank you."
"You mentioned nightmares on the bus. Thought this could do double duty." Relieved at the jokes being over, Jesse gives Willow the next charm. "And since you never forget anything, I thought you should have the elephant."
Once he gives Marcie a golden frog with three legs, Jonathan gets a brightly painted scarab. With the best saved for last, Jesse hands his best buddy a piggy bank. "Did you know pigs are lucky in Germany? That's why kids store money in them."
After the studying and snacking is done for the afternoon, Angel doesn't even need to bother pretending she forgot the way home. Since they all used the gift-card bribes, not even Amy has a problem bringing the new girl home first.
With the conversation on the trip home being more relaxed and natural than the one to the mall, Angel leads them up the driveway with a nervous smile.
Fred better have everything ready.
Turning the knob, the goth girl calls out awkwardly as she pushes it open. "I'm home!"
Just like they had planned before school this morning, Fred has the robotic body of Ted on the kitchen table. "Hey, how was the ma-"
Not giving the college aged girl in safety glasses a chance to finish, Xander unleashes a very manly shriek at the sight of what he thinks is a dead body. "What the hell is going on here?"
