Part 6/?
“Hey, roomie. You doing ok? When I woke up, you
were gone, and I read your note…” Felicia, wearing a pale green bathrobe,
looked up from her breakfast, her eyes reflecting her concern for her new
friend.
“Yeah, I’m ok.” Cordelia answered back with a sigh as she emerged from the
bathroom wearing a baby blue kimono style bathrobe, a bath towel wrapped turban
style around her hair. “I got in late last night and didn’t want to wake you
or anything.” She explained as she ran over the events of last night in her
mind. She had made a point of inviting Angel into the apartment in case he
needed rapid access, but had made it clear to him that he wasn’t to disturb
her roommate. Looking in, she was relieved to find that Felicia had gone on to
bed, and so had no problems in gathering the supplies she needed to bind the
wounds of the ensouled vampire. Then, they had returned to his place where she
had bound his wounds and then, finally, she had stumbled back into her bed where
she had managed to grab a few hours sleep before the alarm bell had rung
signaling the beginning of yet a new day in the past.
“Great.” Felicia smiled as she sipped her coffee. “So…you still want me
to pick you after work and take you to the university with me this afternoon?”
“Yeah.” Cordelia smiled back as she poured coffee from the stainless steel
percolator into a cup and then added cream and sugar. Bringing the cup up to her
lips, the young seer took the time to savor the aroma of the fresh perked coffee
before sipping it. “I need to check to see if it has some books there I
need.”
“Cool.” The strawberry blonde grinned as she got up from the table.
“I’ve got an afternoon class there so I’ll pick you up around twoish
then.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Cordy grinned back as she smeared strawberry jam on
her toast.
Looking at the clock, Felicia frowned. “We better hurry and get dressed or
you’re gonna be late for work and I’m gonna miss my nine o’clock class.”
“Damn.” Cordelia cursed as she wolfed down her toast. “That’s all I
need—the troll momma lecturing me on being late…”
“Troll momma?” Felicia smirked in amusement as her roommate dashed into her
bedroom to get changed.
*******************************************
Staring up at the ceiling, hands clasped behind his head as he lay upon the
ratty old mattress, Angel, between counting the little black dots each tile
contained, thought back to the events of last night. “Why?” He asked himself
as he remembered how that beautiful, yet infuriating, stranger had simply strode
into his place and had then, through her words, shamed him into doing what he
had promised he would never do again—risk being hurt by reaching out to
others. As he brooded over this question, the sounds of Del Shannon’s
‘Runaway’ coming from the tiny transistor radio sitting on the end table
next to his bed filled the room
As I walk along I wonder a-what went wrong
With our love, a love that was so strong
And as I still walk on, I think of the things we've done
Together, a-while our hearts were young
“How can she understand?” The tormented vampire said as he felt the gentle
pressure of the bandages covering the already nearly healed wounds on his side.
“How can she even come close to conceiving of what I did?”
I'm a-walkin' in the rain
Tears are fallin' and I feel the pain
Wishin' you were here by me
To end this misery
And I wonder
I wa-wa-wa-wa-wonder
Why
Ah-why-why-why-why-why she ran away
And I wonder where she will stay
My little runaway, run-run-run-run-runaway
“Who does she think she is?” The 210 year old former Scourge of Europe
growled as he momentarily slid into his demon face while the electric piano solo
of Del Shannon’s song rang out its mournful melody. He sighed as he sank even
further into the comfort of his brood. “She has no idea…” The vampire
sighed, all the while subconsciously doubting his own words as once again the
face of the stranger filled his thoughts.
I'm a-walkin' in the rain
Tears are fallin' and I feel the pain
Wishin' you were here by me
To end this misery
And I wonder
I wa-wa-wa-wa-wonder
Why
Ah-why-why-why-why-why she ran away
And I wonder where she will stay
My little runaway, run-run-run-run-runaway
A-run-run-run-run-runaway
************************************
“Another day at Hellmouth High.” Cordelia groaned as she left the library
after a hard day’s work inventorying books and dealing with students.
“Hey, spaz! Yeah, you…panty waist…I’m talkin’ to you!” Turning
towards the loud voice, the time traveling seer sighed inwardly as she saw the
Harris boys along with a couple other young toughs ganging up on the much
smaller Ira Rosenberg near the lockers. Rory had placed a blocking arm right in
front of the bookish freshman as Tony, after moistening his index finger, stuck
it in the younger boy’s ear. “Wet Willie!!” The obnoxious Tony Harris
yelled as he continued to torment Ira.
“I think we oughta pants him!” Rory smirked as the other toughs grinned and
nodded their heads, while the other students, sniffing that a major humiliation
was in the offing, began to gather to watch the coming show.
“Yeah, pants the geek.” One of the boys, his hair combed into a DA and
wearing a leather jacket, grinned evilly as Tony reached for the waistband of
the younger boy’s slacks.
“Ok…that’s it!” Cordelia scowled as she squared her shoulders, but
before she could intervene, she sighed in relief as Mrs. Snyder waded into the
confrontation.
Grabbing both Harris boys by their ears, the elderly librarian addressed the two
hoodlums as if she was speaking to a pair of five year olds as she dragged them
down the hall, “You young men are going to go to the principal’s office
right now…you ought to be ashamed of yourselves, picking on such a sweet
little boys! Juvenile delinquents—that’s what you are!! You’ll never
amount to a thing as long as you both live!! And you know what’s really bad?
Your kids are going to be just like you!!”
Shaking her head, Cordy walked over to where young Ira stood, quietly regaining
his composure. “You ok, Ira?” The lovely brunette asked as she helped the
young man straighten his tie.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Thank you, Ma’am.” The future father of the young woman
whom Cordelia had tormented so mercilessly said, managing a wan smile as he
picked his books up off the floor. “I better go, though—my mom’s supposed
to pick me up soon.”
“Ok.” Cordelia smiled back as she began to make her way for the exit, only
to run into Jenny. “Hey, Jenny!” The young time traveler called out to the
bookish student that she had recently befriended.
“Miss Chase.” The dark haired young junior, recognizing the voice of the
assistant librarian who had taken her under her wing, smiled as she turned
around.
“We still on for the Mod Shoppe and the beauty parlor this weekend?”
Cordelia asked, referring to their shopping trip.
“I…I…I’m not really sure I oughta…” The shy young girl stammered.
“Oh, poo.” Cordelia smiled back reassuringly. “It’ll be fun. ‘Sides,
Felicia’s dying to meet you--anyway, you wanna make them...” The seer then
jerked her head towards the reigning queen and her court as she whispered,
“…pee their pants…don’t you?”
“Yeah…I guess so…” The younger girl replied, a faint hint of an evil
glint appearing in her eyes.
“Groovy.” Cordy said, flashing an evil grin of her own. “We’ll pick you
up at your place Saturday at 10 then.”
*************************************
“Over here, Cordy!” The lovely seer smiled warmly as she saw her roommate
wave from the front seat of her cherry red 1966 Chevy Corvair Monza convertible.
Fixing her pastel print scarf over her hair and putting on her sunglasses after
she had adjusted her purse hanging from its shoulder strap, Cordelia waved back
as she strode towards her ride, smiling smugly as she noticed how the men and
boys were ogling her well turned legs, plainly visible beneath the light blue
A-line miniskirt she had chosen to wear today.
“Hey, Licia!” Cordelia grinned as she got into the passenger side of the
Corvair. Then, frowning as she looked for a safety belt, quipped, “Didn’t
you read ‘Unsafe at any Speed’?”
“Screw Ralph Nader!” Felicia riposted as she patted the spotless wood
paneled dashboard and then affectionately cooed. “This is my baby.”
“Ok, Momma.” The pretty brunette laughed merrily, “Let’s get the hell
outta here.” She then frowned as she her eyes took in the large main building
of the high school, “You have no idea how much I hate this place.” She said
in a low whisper as bittersweet memories of her high school years and of the
people she knew from there—Buffy, Giles, Xander, Willow, that Marcie girl, Oz,
Harmony, Aura, Larry, Scott Hope—people living, dead, and undead, rushed
through her head.
************************************
As they drove to the UC Sunnydale campus, Cordelia was once again struck by how
drastically 1967 Sunnydale differed from the Sunnydale that she grew up in. As
the sporty Corvair flew by the wooded area that would in the future be the
Sunnydale Mall, the young seer chuckled in wry amusement.
“What’s so funny?” Felicia, hearing the laughter and seeing the ironic
smile on her roommate’s face, asked as they came to a stop at a stop sign.
“Just thinking about how different this place is gonna be in oh…thirty years
or so. I bet this whole area’ll end up a giant shopping center.” Cordelia
answered back as she recalled that a Doublemeat Palace would one day be standing
where a small pond bordered by shade trees was now.
“Well…” Felicia sighed, “That’s progress for you. Bummer, huh?” She
said mournfully as Donny and another man pulled up next to them in Donny’s
white 1967 Ford Mustang.
“Hey, babes!” Donny, wearing a blue Nehru jacket with love beads hanging
from his neck, called out from the driver’s seat. “What’s happening?”
“Hey, baby!” Felicia called back. “We’re on our way to UCSD—Cordy’s
got some library stuff she’s gotta get and I got a late class. What about you
cats? What’s shakin’ with you?”
“We’re headed there too.” Donny answered as a couple of cars pulled up
behind them. An evil glint in his eye, the mod young man smirked, “Race to the
university?”
Smirking back, the strawberry blonde answered slyly as a horn honked reflecting
the irritation of its owner, “What’s the bet?”
“You win…me and Scott takes you and Cordy to the Tom Jones concert in a
couple of weeks.” Donny smiled back.
“And if you win?” Felicia smirked, already having a good idea as to the
answer.
“Then you and Cordy come with us to the happening at Dave’s this weekend.”
Looking across at her roommate sitting next to her, Felicia raised an eyebrow in
inquiry as the drivers of the cars waiting behind the two sports cars began
leaning even harder on their horns. Her curiosity and desire to have fun warring
with the knowledge that she had important work that needed doing, the young seer
thought for a few minutes, then a wicked grin crossing her face, answered.
“Oh…go ahead, Licia! But tell Donny he’s gonna have to get another chick
for Scott.”
Seeing her roommate’s questioning look, Cordelia explained. “It’s not that
he couldn’t light my fire—cause he could—boy could he!” The seer said as
she looked appreciatively at the sandy haired twenty-something young man wearing
a light blue shirt and jeans sitting in the passenger’s seat of the Mustang.
“It’s just that I…well, I kinda met someone while I was walking last
night, and I think I’m gonna drag him along. It’d do him good to get his ass
outta that apartment of his.”
“Ok…” Felicia replied with a wicked grin of her own. “But when we get to
the college, you’re gonna tell me all about this new cat.” Turning towards
Donny, Felicia yelled, “You’re on!” Then, with a squeal of tires and the
smell of burning rubber, she floored the accelerator of the speedy Corvair as
the Ripchord’s ‘Hey Little Cobra’ played on the car’s AM radio.
I took my Cobra down to the track
Hitched to the back of my Cadillac
Everyone was there just a waiting for me
There were plenty of Stingrays and XKEs
Spring little Cobra get ready to strike (Shut ‘em down)
Spring little Cobra now with all of your might
Spring little Cobra get ready to strike (Shut ‘em down)
Spring little Cobra now with all of your might
Hey little Cobra don´t you know you´re gonna shut ´em down
When the flag went down you could hear rubber burn
The Stingray had me going into the turn
I hung a big shift and I got into high
And when I flew by the Stingray I waved bye-bye
Spring little Cobra get ready to strike (Shut ‘em down)
Spring little Cobra now with all of your might
Spring little Cobra get ready to strike (Shut ‘em down)
Spring little Cobra now with all of your might
Hey little Cobra don´t you know you´re gonna shut ´em down
The white Mustang and red Corvair traded the lead several times as they sped
down the road, the women laughing as they passed the men and vice versa until,
finally reaching the entrance to the university, the Chevy crossed the finish
line. Pulling into the first open parking space, the two women sat waiting,
their lips turned up into smug smiles as the men pulled up next to them.
Around the far turn in the straight-away,
I was blowin´ off everyone who got in my way,
the stingrays and jags were so far behind,
I took my cobra out of gear and let her coast to the line.
Spring little Cobra get ready to strike (Shut ‘em down)
Spring little Cobra now with all of your might
Spring little Cobra get ready to strike (Shut ‘em down)
Spring little Cobra now with all of your might
Hey little Cobra don´t you know you´re gonna shut ´em down
“You win, babes.” Donny grinned as he got out of the car. “I’ll call you
later to make plans, Licia.” He laughed as the two women got out of their
vehicle.
“Better find a chick for Scotty.” Felicia smiled back. “Cordy’s already
got herself a cat.” Then, flashing a wicked grin at her roommate, she teased,
“He sounds perfectly groovy too.”
“No sweat.” The dark haired young man said as he wrapped a friendly arm
around each of the two lady’s waists. Then, calling back to his friend, he
asked, “Hey, Scotty! Cordy’s taken. How’s about I set you up with Nicki?”
“Nicki?” The blonde surfer guy though for a few moments and then answered.
“Yeah…sure…that’s cool.”
“Far out.” Donny smiled as he waved goodbye to his friend. “Catch ya
later, man!”
*************************************
“Catch you chicks here about 5?” Donny grinned as he kissed Felicia and
Cordelia on the cheeks in the library foyer.
“It’s a date.” Felicia smiled back, kissing the handsome young man on the
cheek. Then turning to Cordelia, she added, “Catch ya later, roomie.”
“See you guys.” Cordy smiled back as she kissed Donny on the cheek as well,
then, turning around, made her way to the information desk where she quickly
found out where she needed to go. Approaching the reference section, she found
the shelves where the phone books for the major cities in the US and Europe were
kept. Working quickly through the volumes, she smiled smugly as she reached the
one she wanted—London. Taking it off the shelf, she sat down at a nearby
table, and thumbing through it, quickly found and recorded the two phone numbers
she sought on a piece of scrap paper.
Then, making her way to the occult section, she shook her head in amazement as
she saw how barren it was. “You’d think…” she whispered to herself,
“…that a college built on the Hellmouth would have a better selection of
books.” Looking, she sighed in relief as she found copy of “De Cultibus
Vespertilionibus”, “On The Vampire Cults,” She whispered as she read the
title, inwardly thanking Angel and Wesley for the many long hours of
force-feeding Latin into her brain. Picking up the heavy tome, she once again
thanked Angel for forcing her to build up her muscles training as she made her
way to the circulation desk.
Approaching the clerk, she plopped the weighty book down on the table and then
presented her Sunnydale High identification card that permitted her to check out
books at UCSD.
“Far out.” The clerk, a student with long dark hair and a beard and wearing
a tie-dyed shirt and love beads, remarked as he took out the circulation card
for Cordelia to sign. “You work at Sunnydale High?”
“Yeah, I’m the assistant librarian.” Cordelia said as she signed her name
and then gave the card back to the clerk.
Checking the date due slip, the clerk cracked a smile, “Crazy…Last time this
book was checked out was 1924…you doing research or something?”
“Yeah…” Cordy grinned, “Something like that.”
“Outta sight.” The student said, looking impressed. Then, handing the book
to her, he said “Peace,” as he flashed the V shaped peace sign with his
fingers.
“Peace.” The young seer smiled back as she made the peace sign as well.
“Don’t forget…” The clerk called out, “Demonstration’s in an hour in
front of the ROTC building.”
***********************************
“Get what you need?” Felicia asked as Cordelia carried the heavy tome with
both hands.
“Yeah.” Cordy sighed dramatically as she smiled sweetly at Donny while
appearing to strain carrying the book.
Laughing, Donny reached out with his hands, “Here, baby…give it to me.”
“Thanks, Donny.” The lovely brunette flashed her handsome companion one of
her trademark winning smiles as she handed the thick book to him.
Looking with curiosity at the gold embossed lettering on the leather binding,
Donny asked, “De Cultibus…what?”
“It’s Latin.” Cordelia explained as she decided to go with a half-truth
here. “It’s about really freaky ancient cults—I’m thinking about doing
my Masters work on it.”
“Far out.” Donny exclaimed as the trio walked across campus, until, coming
near the ROTC building, they heard the sound of chanting:
“HEY…HEY…LBJ
HOW MANY BABIES DID YOU KILL TODAY!!!”
“What’s going on?” Felicia asked as the drew closer to the gathering crowd
of students—many of the men dressed in jeans with multi-colored tie-dyed
t-shirts, the women in long flowing maxi dresses or bell bottom jeans with
halter tops or flowing blouses. Several in the crowd were carrying picket signs.
Some of the placards had peace symbols drawn on them, others stated ‘END THE
WAR’ or ‘US OUT OF VIETNAM’ or other anti-war slogans. Cordy looked on in
amazement in even more amazement as she saw one girl waving an American flag in
the air, a peace symbol replacing the stars in the blue field.
“Anti-war demonstration.” Cordelia, remembering what the circulation clerk
told her, answered.
“Oh.” Felicia, curious, drew closer to the crowd.
Seeing the riot police, wearing their tactical helmets and brandishing long
nightsticks, arrayed in front of the building facing the demonstrators, Cordy,
having a bad feeling about this, warned as the shouting grew louder, “Better
not get too close, guys…”
“HO…HO…HO CHI MINH,” The crowd of students now began to chant as olive
drab trucks pulled up next to the building, disgorging helmeted and rifle
carrying young men wearing olive drab, who then promptly took up positions,
their rifles at port arms, close to the police.
“Hey…Isn’t that Lenny?” Donny exclaimed, pointing towards their friend
from the Bronze, standing next to a group of other young men near a burning
waste receptacle.
“Yeah.” Felicia answered, instantly recognizing her old friend.
“What’s he doing?” Cordelia asked as she saw him take a card out of his
wallet, and then producing a lighter, set it ablaze, dropping it in the burning
container.
“Burning his draft card.” Donny replied somberly as someone nearby began to
strum a guitar and sing. “He got a letter last week from The Man telling him
that they were taking away his student exemption and classifying him 1-A.”
“Bummer.” Felicia said in a soft voice as the guitarist began to sing ‘The
Vietnam Rag.
Come on all of you big strong men,
Uncle Sam needs your help again.
He's got himself in a terrible jam
Way down yonder in Vietnam
So put down your books and pick up a gun,
We're gonna have a whole lotta fun.
And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam;
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why,
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.
“What’s he gonna do now?” Cordelia asked as a slender young flower child,
her blond hair flowing all the way down to the small of her back, went along the
row of soldiers sticking daisies into the barrels of their rifles as she smiled
at them.
Come on generals, let's move fast;
Your big chance has come at last.
Gotta go out and get those reds —
The only good commie is the one that's dead
You know that peace can only be won
When we've blown 'em all to kingdom come.
And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam;
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why,
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.
“Told me last night him and Edie were planning on cutting out and heading off
to Canada.” Donny said as he shook his head. “Can’t say as I blame him. I
don’t know what I’d do if they called me up.” The young mod shook his head
dejectedly as the shouts and slogans grew louder and more violent.
“It’s starting to turn into a bad scene.” Felicia interjected, a worried
expression on her face. “I think we’d better get Lenny and blow this place
before the fuzz starts cracking heads.”
“You’re right.” Cordelia said, her voice also showing her fear that the
situation was rapidly deteriorating as now students were picking up and
brandishing rocks and bottles.
Come on Wall Street, don't move slow,
Why man, this is war au-go-go.
There's plenty good money to be made
Supplying the Army with the tools of the trade,
Just hope and pray that if they drop the bomb,
They drop it on the Viet Cong.
And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam;
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why,
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.
“Getting ugly!” Cordy shouted as the threesome tried to work their way
through the increasingly restive crowd as the police began to shift about in
their positions. “We better hurry!”
“Too late!” Donny yelled as someone threw a rock, hitting one of the
policemen on his helmet, forcing him to his knees. His fellow officers, seeing
their downed comrade, rushed into the mob of students, at first driving them
back thanks to their initial charge and swinging batons.
“Lenny!” Felicia shouted, trying to get the attention of her friend, who at
that moment, was near the center of the fight between the students and police.
Cordelia, seeing the National Guardsmen leveling their rifles into firing
positions, felt a heavy weight in the pit of her stomach as a bottle hit one of
the soldiers. “Oh my God!!” She screamed as the now panicked soldiers fired
into the crowd of young men and women. The students, hearing the rifle fire and
smelling the acrid cordite, fled in panic, stampeding from the courtyard, the
riot police in hot pursuit.
“Get away from here!” The young seer commanded, turning towards her friends.
But, before she could say or do anything else, she saw Felicia suddenly grow
pale and point. Turning towards where her friend pointed, Cordelia looked on in
shock as Lenny, a growing red stain now marring his spotlessly clean white
shirt, fell to ground, lying motionless.
Rushing to her new friend, the young seer, kneeling next to him, searched in
vain for a pulse. Then, looking up, she saw two soldiers and a man wearing a
suit and tie with a camera. Tears flowing down her cheeks, she screamed out as
the reporter snapped her picture for tomorrow’s paper, “WHY?”
Come on mothers throughout the land,
Pack your boys off to Vietnam.
Come on fathers, don't hesitate,
Send your sons off before it's too late.
You can be the first one on your block
To have your boy come home in a box.
And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam;
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why,
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.
**********************************************
As the young seer walked down the deserted night street, she reflected on what
had happened earlier that day. Thankfully, her and her friends weren’t
arrested. The two soldiers had, with surprising gentleness, taken her away from
her friend’s body and reunited her with Felicia and Donny. The trip back to
their place was a quiet one—neither woman felt like talking, and after crying
in each others arms once again, Felicia had, as before, collapsed into a deep
slumber.
Reaching the tenement apartment where the ensouled vampire whom she one day call
friend stayed, Cordelia softly knocked on the door. Hearing the gentle rapping,
Angel, roused from his restless slumber, made his way to the door. Opening it,
he almost gasped as he saw the strange woman from last night standing before
him. But this time, she looked different. No longer the supremely confident
seer, the woman standing before him, her eyes red and puffy from her tears,
reminded him, more than anything else, of his long lost little sister in her
vulnerability. “What…” He said softly, unaccustomed concern and compassion
filling his voice.
“Hold me.” The young woman cried as she buried her head in his chest.
“Please, Angel…just hold me.”
TBC...