3rd Person's POV

Xander dreams on his desk. The lights are low: the class is being shown slides of insects. Buffy, Willow, Laney and Blayne Mall (Football star/stud) sit nearby. Willow shakes him.

"Xander..."

He bolts up from his Buffy fantasy. He looks around to see Laney sitting by Buffy. She brushes her mouth to indicate he should wipe his. He does, straightening up as Dr. Gregory turns on the lights and moves down the aisle towards them.

"Their ancestors were here long before we were- their progeny will be here long after we're gone. The
simple and ubiquitous ant. If you did the homework, you'll know the two ways that ants communicate...
Ms. Summers?"

Buffy doesn't have a clue; she glances over at Laney who frowns and shrugs then looks over to Willow.

"Ways that ants communicate?"

"Yes..." Dr. Gregory nods looking somewhat amused.

"With other ants."

"No, with lemons. From the homework, the ants are
communicating in two ways..."

Dr. Gregory walks towards her so she watches Willow, behind his back. She frantically mimes "touch" and "smell" by touching and smelling Xander-- to his discomfort.

"Touch... and... B.O.?"

Laughter erupts from the class.

Blayne chuckles looking at Xander, "Thank God someone finally found the courage to mention that."

"Touch and smell, Ms. Summers. Is there anything else Ms. Rosenberg would like to tell you?"

Laney looks up in shock, "I didn't say anything."

Dr. Gregory smirks and nods towards Willow, "Not you... the other Rosenberg."

Willow hangs her head smiling sheepishly. The bell rings making everyone grab their stuff and shuffle out.

"Chapters six through eight by Wednesday, people."

As Buffy collects her things, Dr. Gregory stops her, "Could I see you for a moment?"

Willow and Xander exchange sympathetic looks with Buffy as they make their way out with the rest of the kids. Blayne shoves past Xander to get to Laney.

"Laney, wait up, doll."

Laney stops and turns around with a small smirk, "What do you want Mall?"

Blayne glances over at Xander, "Isn't she something?
Do you know what a woman like that wants?"

Xander waits to hear.

"No, I guess you wouldn't."

Blayne walks off and stands near Laney. Xander calls after he walks away, "Something really cutting!"

Willow grimaces, "Sometimes I just go with the generic insult. Why pay more for the brand name?"

Laney stands with her arms crossed smirking at Blayne as she leans against the row of lockers. His arm leans on the locker by her head as he smiles down at her.

"So doll... what do you say we take the time to get to know each other. How about my place tonight?"

Laney laughs as she puts her hand in his cheek. She grabs his chin and pulls him close to her face.

"Oh Blayne... if you want me in your bed... you're gonna have to try a lot harder than that."

She pushes his face away then moves under his arm walking away from him. Blayne watches in awe as she struts away. Xander watches in confusion as Laney walks up to him and Willow.

"Did you just walk away from Blayne? No girl does that. It's like he has some charm or something." Willow says glancing over at the football star.

Laney shrugs, "Cute sure... charm not so much. If he wants to sleep with me he's gonna have to do a lot more than ask. I'm not one his usual skanks."

"Wait you would sleep... with him?" Xander asks with bewildered eyes.

"Maybe." Laney shrugs, "He's not too bad."

"You said I wasn't too bad."

"I did, didn't I?" Laney smirks as she watches the gears shift in Xander's head.

He watches amusement form in her eyes as she bites her lip. Buffy walks up to the group and looks at the two.

"And here's the sexual tension again..."

"S-sex se-sexual tension? B-between then? No way."
Willow frowns as she looks at the two who are still staring at each other.

"Hello! Back to planet earth!" Buffy snaps her fingers in front of their eyes.

"Oh wow look at the time... gotta go. I got people to do."

Xander's breathe quickens as he watches her slip away. Laney turns back around with a sly smile.

"Oop did I say people? I meant things. Things to do, people to see... Later."

Xander watches her as she disappears down the hallway. Buffy looks over at Willow who is frowning with sad eyes watching Xander. Xander quickly turns around and looks at the two girls in shock.

"That just happened... please tell me I wasn't just dreaming that."

"You weren't dreaming." Willow says in a monotone voice.

There's a decent crowd that night at the Bronze. The band that was backing Xander up in his fantasies. He is on the edge of the crowd, near the stage. He looks about for some familiar faces. Looking up at one of the band members, he gives him a high sign and a smile like they're best buds. The band member ignores him.

Slightly sheepishly, he moves away from the dance floor, still searching for his buds. Xander wanders around while Buffy and Willow are in mid-conversation at one of the tables.

"Dr. Gregory didn't chew me out or anything. He was really cool. But Flutie showed him my permanent record. Apparently I fall somewhere between Charles Manson and a really bad person."

Willow frowns, "And you can't tell Dr. Gregory what
really happened at your old school?"

"I was fighting vampires? I'm thinking he might not believe me."

Willow sighs jokingly, "Yeah, he probably gets that excuse all the time."

Cordelia approaches with Laney by her side.

"Here lies a problem. What used to be my table occupied by pitiful losers. Of course we'll have to burn it."

"Sad, you have so many memories here. You and Lawrence, you and Mark, you and John. You spent the better part of your "J" through "M" here." Buffy replies.

Cordelia gives a look and turns to Laney, "I'm leaving. See you later?"

"Yep."

Cordelia nods and leaves to find her Cordettes. Laney sits beside Willow across from Buffy.

"Hello people."

"So you're hanging out less with Cordelia we noticed..."

Laney looks at Buffy then down at her drink on the table.

She picks up the glass and chugs it down, "Well I figured its time to branch out. Be Laney not Lanadette."

Buffy nods, "I like that plan."

Near the coffee bar, Blayne and his football buds are lounging.

"Seven. Including Cheryl. I tell you though, her sister was looking to make it eight."

"Cheryl's sister? The one in college?" A bud asks as his fist pounds Blayne.

Xander appears at the edges of the group.

"Home for the holidays and looking for love. Not my type, though. Girl's really gotta have something to go with me."

Xander enters in the conversation jokingly, "Something like a lobotomy?"

"Xander. How many times've you scored?"

"Well..."

Blayne smirks, "Just a question."

"Are we talking today or the whole week?"

"Right... Well fellas there's a new conquest on the list. Laney is playing hard to get but I guarantee that she will break by the end of this week."

Xander frowns as the football guys all cheer, "Yeah that's not gonna happen."

Blayne glares at Xander, "Why not?"

"Laney is more of a standards gal."

Blayne chuckles humorlessly, "Right and with these standards... you think you have more of a chance than me?"

Xander feels the heat as all eyes are on him. He looks around the club to see his friends and sighs in relief.

"Uh oh, duty calls."

Xander moves across the club and stands behind Willow and Laney. He throws his arms around the two of them, saying loudly, "Babes..."

"What are you doing?" Buffy squints her eyes in confusion.

Xander pleads, "Work with me here. Blayne had the
nerve to question my manliness. I'm just giving him a visual."

"We'll show him." Willow says clutching Xander's arm tighter.

Laney looks past Buffy's shoulder to see Blayne and the other football player looking at Xander laughing. Laney frowns.

"Those assholes. I'm the only one who can make fun of you and your manliness."

Xander opens his mouth to speak but is cut off by Laney's lips on his. Their lips move together in sync as she holds his collar pulling closer to her.

Willow lets go of Xander's arm and looks at him and her sister in shock. She glances over at Buffy who seems to be showing the same emotion.

After a minute, Xander and Laney separate breathing heavily. Laney looks at Xander then back at his lips in surprise.

"Wow well that was better then I thought it would be."

"Is this a dream?" Xander asks still charmed looking at Laney.

"I hope so." Willow murmurs to herself.

Blayne and the other guys stare in shock still not sure what just happened. Laney smirks and looks over at Xander.

"Hey you wanna walk me ho-"

Laney doesn't even finish her sentence before Xander answers, "Yes!"

Laney giggles and jumps down from her chair, grabbing Xander's hand. Willow's frown deepens.

"But you just got here."

"It's okay Will. I'm feeling a little tired anyways." Xander says as Laney starts to pull him away.

The two walk past Blayne's table making him curse in anger.

Buffy looks in every which way still so confused, "What just happened?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
JUST FOR FUN

Laney's Outfit at School

Laney's Outfit at the Bronze