********
TITLE: College Confidential
WRITER: Laragh
CHAPTER RATING: PG-13
DISCLAIMER: Willow, Tara and any other characters from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer franchise belong to Joss Whedon, FOX, ME and a whole host of other entities, none of which are me.
SUMMARY: The first part of the prequel to
Hacker Confidential and
Family Confidential - the college years!
SPOILERS: Perhaps minor references to the show or stealage of dialogue, but nothing that would spoil the series.
FEEDBACK: Yes please
Chapter 45 ********
Previously:“Is that noise coming from our building?” Tara asked uncertainly.
“Curfew was a half hour ago,” Willow replied, looking down at her watch, “I thought we’d just be coming back to a big mess.”
They rounded a shrub and it quickly became obvious the noise was indeed blaring from their building along with a considerable amount of people who were smoking outside.
“Oh boy,” Willow commented, loud enough for Tara to hear, “Let’s just push through and put the TV on real loud or something, okay?”
Tara nodded, not sure she'd be heard over the crowd. Willow kept her hand tight as she opened the main doors and tried to push through the sexy bunnies and wannabe-Native-Americans.
Almost every room on their floor was opened and people in various costumes were flittering in and out. Willow could see a lot of the beds were already ‘occupied’ despite being in full view of everybody. She was beginning to consider taking Tara to a late-night movie theatre instead, when they were approached by a bronzed beauty in full Egyptian garb, complete with headpiece and perfectly styled hair.
Willow had to admit, Becky did know how to dress up.
“Whoa,” Tara commented upon seeing, her eyes widening in a way Willow didn’t like.
Becky was grinning wildly and threw her arms around them both.
“Willow! Tara! You came back!”
Willow had encountered drunk-Becky enough times to know when she was inebriated and when she was just giddy; the latter being the case this time, though she was sure her friend had had a punch or two.
She was still annoyed by Tara’s reaction.
“We thought it would be over.”
“You two are so party-illiterate,” Becky replied with a playful roll of her eyes, “We got hours until we get shut down!”
Tara was at their door now and had the key in.
“Let’s just go in and–”
She was interrupted as a man in a baboon costume but with the head off bounded over and pushed the door open before bombarding in.
“New room! New room! New room!”
“Uh, no, not a new–” Willow started to protest, then marched over to him when he picked up an ornament on the dresser, “Hey! Get away from that!”
Some more people pushed past Tara to experience the ‘new room’. She stood still, puzzled for a moment, until Becky was gesturing someone over. She clung to her boyfriend’s arm when he got there, that same grin plastered onto her face though her eyes had changed from amused to aroused.
“And my Mark Anthony,” she said, tapping Lucas’s chest, right above the gladiator belt, “Show her your sword!”
Tara’s eyes went wide but she was very relieved when Lucas pulled out a plastic sword from a sheath on the belt.
“Your costumes are very cool,” she replied, her eyes drawn again to Becky’s head, “I love your headdress, it almost took my breath away when I saw it. The beadwork is so intricate; I wish I could do something like that. I’ve made Willow some bracelets and necklaces, a watch once, but never something so detailed.”
Becky twirled one of the strings of hanging beads over her face, happy that all her efforts into costume-ing were being complimented.
“Thanks, I had it custom made, my head was too small for most of them,” she replied, then pointed her thumb at Lucas, “This one was easy, show a man a sword and he’ll do whatever you want.”
True to form, Lucas was playing with the sword, batting it against the light saber of a Luke Skywalker that had appeared. Becky rolled her eyes but was smiling and turned back to Tara.
“Hey, I was thinking about next year’s costume–”
“Already?” Tara interrupted, an eyebrow quirked up.
“Halloween is a serious business,” Becky replied, her tone indicating she meant just that, “Anyway, I was thinking about Alice in Wonderland. That’d be cool, right? But with one of those head-band hats, the little ones on top? And with some ruffles and a bow to match a neckpiece maybe. I dunno, it’s still in the works, but that’s what I’m thinking.”
Tara nodded along; the idea of planning something so far in advance baffled her, but at least she knew of the character Becky was talking about.
“That sounds nice.”
Becky nodded keenly.
“So you think you could do it?”
“Me?” Tara asked, confused.
“Yeah, Willow says you’re great with this stuff and you said you’d made some jewellery and stuff before. Will you help?”
Tara smiled, slowly and shyly.
“Sure I will.”
Becky threw her arms around Tara.
“Thank you!”
Willow appeared at that moment, shoving a Superman out the door.
“I said don’t touch my stuff!” she snapped at him, then eyed the other two cagily, “Hey…”
“Hi!” Becky replied, embracing Willow quickly too before pumping her hands in the air when a new tune started playing, “Oh, I love this song…babe, let's dance!”
She started to dance around in the middle of the crowd with Lucas and Tara smiled, admiring her ability to be so unselfconscious, whether sober, drunk, or in her current state of tipsy. Willow saw the look and frowned, but Tara looked away almost as soon as first glance.
“This is kinda fun,” Tara commented shyly, “I’ve never been to a party before.”
Willow frowned more.
“You want to stay?”
Tara shrugged.
“I like the music.”
There was an awkward lull and Tara wasn’t sure why, but Willow was unable to bite her tongue and spoke up again quickly.
“So…Becky’s costume is nice, huh?”
Tara smiled and nodded.
“Uh huh.”
“She went as Pocahontas last year…the slutty version,” Willow replied, her nose turned up slightly, “Probably would have liked that too.”
Tara blinked slowly, twice.
“Excuse me?”
Willow couldn’t meet her eye and just looked ahead at the crowd.
“Just sayin’…”
“‘Just sayin’…what exactly?” Tara asked, though her tone indicated she already knew.
Willow’s jaw was clenched a moment before she was able to attempt a shrug of nonchalance.
“That you were very appreciative.”
“Really? After everything?” Tara asked, pushing herself off the wall, eyes hurt and betrayed, “I was admiring the headpiece.”
She walked away into their room but was too shy to ask the people sitting - thankfully, just sitting - on the bed to leave, so wandered over to lean by the window.
Willow hung back against the wall, ego bruised though she was too stubborn to admit she was wrong yet. She was beyond mad that her room had been unwillingly taken over and was a half-second away from snapping when Becky came back over, took both her hands and tried to pull her away from the wall, jovially.
“Willow, come on, I love hanging out with you, but don’t make me chaperone you! Mingle! I don’t want to see you hiding against the wall.”
Willow snatched her hands back.
“I’m not in the mood.”
Becky straightened up, eyebrows moving a centimetre up on her face.
“What happened to you, grumpy? You’re a solider, not one of the seven dwarfs.”
Willow glanced from side to side, resolve slowly crumbling, until her hands finally fell by her sides.
“I upset Tara.”
Becky scoffed.
“In the two minutes I was gone? Wow, that must be a record. What happened?”
Willow slumped against the wall again.
“My green-eyed, red-haired jealousy monster.”
“Who?” Becky asked, looking around for the potential interest, before barking a laugh when she saw the way Willow was looking at her, “Me?!”
“Well she couldn’t stop staring at you!” Willow replied, exaggerating her words and a motion towards Becky.
Becky twirled the same string of beads.
“She likes the headpiece.”
Willow’s heart sank. Tara really had been telling the truth.
Of course she was.“Oh, just…after Mia…” she said as she glanced over at Tara, who was now talking to Fred Flintstone, “After Mia, I should be trusting her more than ever.”
Becky joined Willow against the wall.
“Let me tell you something,” she said, her tone indicating she wasn’t kidding around, a rare occurrence for her, “You know I love Halloween, right? It’s a big thing for me?”
Willow tried not to throw her hands up as if to say ‘duh’.
“Yeah, just a little.”
Becky was quiet a moment in thought.
“Well, every year since I was 13, I’ve planned a costume that can be used on its own, or as part of a couple, depending on my romantic situation. Even when I was with Tim and thought I could marry that asshole, I always thought, ‘gotta make sure I can use it if something happens, can't ruin my Halloween!'”
Willow waited for some conclusion to the story, but Becky was silent.
“Yeah, so?”
Becky dropped her head, then lifted it again, smiling.
“So, I just asked Tara if she wouldn’t mind helping me out with my next costume. Because I didn’t doubt for a second that she’s still going to be around next year.”
It was Willow’s turn to be silent, taking that all in.
“You guys, you’ve got this energy,” Becky continued, her hands gesturing around in a ball, trying to manifest said energy, “I don’t even know how to describe it. But if I found something like that, I don’t think I would ever have a wandering eye.”
Willow looked sceptical at that.
“I know! Me! So you know it’s serious,” Becky said, smiling her usual jokey smile though her eyes still shone with genuine warmth, “You just have to get it through that head she only has goo-goo eyes for you.”
Willow’s cheeks lightly tinged and she found herself looking at Tara again; barely noticing the man standing beside her and just the soft smile and angelic features of her girlfriend.
She tore her gaze away to smile at her friend.
“Thanks, Becky.”
Becky bumped her shoulder against Willow's.
"I swear I'm your love guru sometimes."
Tara saw a man in an orange and black-polka-dot dress with a blue cravat approach. He was holding two red cups in his hands and offered one to her. She wasn’t in much mood for company, but decided it was better than feeling sorry for herself. If she had to be in a party, she may as well enjoy herself.
“Hey,” the guy said, his smile carrying a disturbing quality hidden beneath charm, “Or should I say yabba-dabba-doo.”
“Hi,” Tara greeted shyly, declining the cup.
Tara’s shirt was modest, but had enough allure to draw you in. The man took advantage of the view.
“Saw you all on your own here. I’m Nathan. Or I guess you could call me Fred.”
“Oh, I’m Tara,” Tara replied, hands behind herself now as she looked around uncomfortably.
Nathan somehow misconstrued that as an invitation to come closer.
“Here by yourself?”
Tara could still see the back of Willow’s head, but shrugged in annoyance.
“I guess, kinda.”
“Well I’ll keep you company,” Nathan replied, that smile coming out again, “Sure you don't want a drink, Tara?”
He offered one of the cups again but Lucas ran over before Tara had a chance to accept or decline, dramatically poking Nathan in the chest with his sword.
“Don’t drink that!”
Nathan huffed out a breath and straightened up to Lucas.
“What’s the problem, dude?”
Lucas seemed to realise he looked ridiculous with the sword out and quickly shoved it back in the sheath but stayed shoulder to shoulder with Nathan.
“The problem is, I saw you slipping something in there.”
Nathan pushed one of Lucas’s shoulders.
“Hey bro, this is none of your business. There ain’t nothing wrong with this drink.”
“Then drink some yourself,” Lucas challenged.
Nathan floundered for a moment before pushing Lucas again and walking off.
“Whatever, man.”
Lucas was about to follow him but was distracted as Willow came over to them.
“What’s going on here?” she asked, looking all around in concern.
“That guy just tried to roofie Tara,” Lucas said, pointing at the back of the head that was quickly disappearing through the crowd outside the room.
Willow’s eyes flew to Tara, then to where Lucas was pointing before she finally ran off to the source of the music and yanked the plug from the stereo system. The whole dorm collapsed into silence.
“Party is OVER!” she yelled, eyes wild with fury, “I will call the campus police, I don’t care if I get in trouble too! I will have every one of us written up!”
There were shouts and grumbles all around and Becky came skidding up.
“Willow, what the hell?”
Willow was just barely breathing, sucking in a laboured breath every few seconds.
“Some guy tried to roofie Tara.”
Becky’s eyes went wide and she quickly spun around to face the disgruntled party go-ers.
“Party’s over! And everyone watch your drinks!” she announced and everyone seemed to accept her words, though not happily.
The place started to clear quickly.
“Where is he?” Becky asked, eyes scouring for someone ‘suspicious’.
“Scampered off,” Willow replied, wishing she’d had a chance to sock him one, then immediately finding herself grateful she hadn’t, knowing it would have scared Tara.
“Is Tara okay?” Becky asked.
Willow was already running back down the hallway to their room.
“I gotta go check!”
She slid into the room and went over to take Tara’s hands.
“Tara, baby, you okay?”
Tara gave a little nod.
“Little shook up,” she replied honestly, then offered a small but real smile to Lucas who was walking over to Becky by the door, “Glad Lucas was here.”
“Yeah, thank you. Really,” Willow said over to him, then gently cupped one of Tara’s pale cheeks, “Tara, you sure you’re okay?”
Tara nodded again, but her eyes were downcast. Willow knew it wasn’t because of the roofie-attempt.
“Tara, I’m sorry.”
Tara shrugged one shoulder.
“It’s okay.”
“It’s not. I look at boobs and you let me away with it, but I jump at you for admiring a headpiece. It’s not fair, especially after everything that just happened. You have to understand, it’s not that I thought you were cheating, I will never make that mistake again. But I’m jealous,” Willow replied, her hand gently falling from Tara’s face, “Because you’re beautiful and smart and kind and everything that’s good in the world and I selfishly want all your attention to myself.”
Tara lifted her head and shook it.
“That’s not selfish.”
Willow toyed with her hands awkwardly.
“Even if you are looking at other women, I mean, it’s just looking–”
“But I’m not,” Tara interrupted softly.
Willow’s shoulders visibly relaxed.
“Okay. I’ll try not to get jealous if I totally misread a situation and think you are,” she said, then had to tack on, “But I can’t make any promises if I can see someone else blatantly checking you out. I know, I know, I’m weak. I’m insecure. It's a personal flaw, it’s not a doubt on you.”
Tara was quiet for a moment, before replying in a quiet voice.
“I get a little jealous sometimes too.”
“You do?” Willow asked, surprised – Tara had never expressed it or made her feel like it was the case.
Tara nodded; she understood that first pang of angry annoyance when someone looked at Willow the way only she wanted to.
“Yeah, I do. With Danny and Lucas and when guys, or girls, pass you and look back. The…boobs thing. I get jealous. I wanted to glue their eyes shut, and throw towels over the girls’ chests.”
Willow was shocked.
“You never said a word, gave a dirty look, anything. A-a little on the boobs thing, but…” Willow suddenly stopped and considered their different approaches from Tara’s point of view, “Wow. I’m looking at other girls’ chests. What’s wrong with me? How much of a hypocrite am I? I’d be crushed if you were thinking about another girl sexually. I just was, that just happened and I... I-I mean you’re entitled to your thoughts, but if I knew you were…Wow. I'm a jerk.”
Tara frowned for a moment.
“You told me it wasn’t sexual. That you weren't fantasizing about them.”
“And that’s the truth,” Willow replied honestly, “But why should you believe me? I don’t even understand it myself!”
Tara squeezed Willow’s upper arm gently.
“I believe you. I worked it out, actually. You look at boobs the way I might look at a nice pair of nails.”
Willow was struck dumb for a moment, clarity falling over her face.
“That’s actually a really good way of putting it. No one ever gets it, like, oh, she’s looking at boobs so she must be thinking of them sexually. But no one would ever say oh you’re looking at someone’s hand, so you must be thinking of that sexually, even though, we, you know, use them pretty predominantly,” she said, making sure to keep her voice down, though was speaking quite speedily, “How’d you figure that out? I couldn’t even explain it properly, just waffled and thought you let me away with it to avoid a fight.”
Tara shrugged one shoulder softly.
“You say boobs.”
Willow blinked.
“You lost me.”
“You say ‘boobs’. When you’re referencing other girls. You always say boobs. Sometimes you call mine boobs too, when we’re playing around, but most of the time…mostly you say breasts,” Tara replied shyly, voice even quieter than Willow’s, “Like, ‘I love your breasts’ or something. And you say it like I’m the only person in the world who owns them. Not any old pair of boobs, but breasts, real breasts. Like the others are just things, but I’m a woman, your woman. So that’s how I figured the difference.”
Willow had to bring her hands up to cover her face a moment to compose herself.
“We’re having a conversation practically in public about boobs and you’re gonna make me cry,” she said, exhaling softly and holding Tara’s hand tight, “No one ever understood me. It’s so stupid, but it’s not just this, it’s everything. You just get everything.”
Tara leaned over and kissed her softly.
“I love you, Willow. I always just want to be the best person I can be for you.”
Willow was about to hug her, but had a question first.
“Tara, does it hurt you when I look? Honest answer.”
“Until I understood…yes,” Tara answered honestly as requested, But not now. You can look at ‘boobs’ if I can look at hands.”
Willow laughed and forwent a shake for the owed hug.
“Deal.”
Tara accepted the hug, then pulled back to meet Willow’s eye.
“And the other kinds of jealousy… if you can trust me and I can trust you that it’s one-sided on the other side…I think we can work it out.”
Willow leaned forward and rested their foreheads together.
“Forgiving infrequent, irrational moments of lunacy? Because I know I’m going to have some in our lifetime of years.”
Tara smiled her special Willow-smile.
“I don’t think two women could be in a relationship if we didn’t.”
Willow smiled too, and would have laughed if the movement wouldn’t have separated them.
“Really, really sure you’re okay?” she asked once last time.
The shake had gone from Tara’s hand, but was still concerned about the whole situation.
“What if he goes onto another party and hurts some poor girl?”
“We can call campus police, give them a description?” Willow suggested and Tara nodded quickly.
Willow picked up the phone but didn’t get a chance to dial before Becky called over.
“We’re gonna head out to find a new party or something. Wanna come?”
“Um, well we have to make a call, then we were gonna watch some scary movies,” Willow replied, then looked to Tara, “If you still want to?”
Tara nodded, as did Lucas, who appeared very much in favour of their plans.
“Yes, that is how you spend Halloween! Dark room, big screen, Aliens bursting out of your stomach–”
“Pfft, try a girl climbing out of your TV,” Willow interrupted.
Lucas laughed.
“A girl after my own heart.”
“Well why don’t we just leave you two to your Halloween love-fest…” Becky suggested, trying to be jokey but the underlining tone of bitterness still coming through.
“Babe…” Lucas said, holding up his hands defensively.
“She already turned him down,” Tara pointed out, then blushed and looked away.
Becky cackled.
“Nice,” she said, walking over to high five Tara.
“You guys can stay and watch movies with us if you want,” Willow continued, holding the receiver against her shoulder, “I got popcorn and one of those plastic pumpkins full of candy and everything.”
“Got any beer?” Lucas asked, kicking a stray red cup by the door away.
“I have Dr. Pepper and Sprite,” Willow answered, matter-of-fact.
Lucas shrugged.
“I’m in.”
Everyone looked to Becky, who seemed on the fence.
“Skittles?” she asked and got a nod from Willow, “Alright, alright. I can be convinced to take a night off.”
Willow waved them in.
“Make yourself comfortable, we want to call in a description of that guy.”
“Good idea,” Becky replied and closed the door, leaving the mess on the other side.
Willow made the call and they passed the phone between all of them to get an accurate description, and were promised someone would scour the area, which eased Tara’s mind.
“Lucas, come help me pick movies,” Willow said as the other two got the snacks and drinks out.
Becky put the popcorn in the microwave and sat on the floor with her back against the bedframe. She took the bulky headpiece off and stretched her legs out, but was watching Lucas and Willow carefully.
Tara was piling cans into her hand from the mini-fridge, and Becky beckoned her close when she came back over.
“I know she’s not looking at him, but do you think he’s looking at her?”
Tara looked over her shoulder where Lucas and Willow were pawing through her DVD collection.
“I don’t think so.”
“I wouldn’t normally be so…” Becky replied, biting the corner of her lip, “Just when there’s already history.”
“I really don’t think–” Tara was quick to reassure but Lucas spoke, or yelled over her.
“Dude, are you kidding me? Rocky Horror?”
All the worry immediately went from Becky’s face. That ‘dude’ spoke volumes to her.
“Never mind,” she said with a wave of her hand, “That’s my man.”
Tara wasn’t sure what had happened, but was happy as long as Becky was. Lucas and Willow came back after a few minutes and sat beside their respective girlfriends’.
“Okay, we agreed to start with the alien babies, move onto The Wicker Man–” Willow started.
“The original 1973 version,
not the sucky remake with Nicolas Cage,” Lucas interrupted.
“Right!” Willow agreed, nodding along, “Then slip in some Night of the Demon for good measure and finish with–”
“
Seven days,” Lucas added in, speaking in unison with Willow in a creepy children’s voice, after which they both started laughing.
“Boys,” Becky said with a playful roll of her eyes.
“Hey,” Willow protested, pouting, “I’m not a boy.”
“I can vouch for that,” Tara added and once again found herself blushing.
Willow blushed too and Lucas smirked while Becky laughed again.
“Tara, you are on a roll tonight.”
They all settled with a drink, a handful of candy each and a bowl of popcorn between each couple.
“Are they really scary?” Tara asked when the opening credits started, voice nervous.
“I’ll hold you, don’t worry,” Willow reassured quickly, scooting close to her and taking her hand.
Not one to be shown up, Lucas tried to stretch his arm over Becky’s shoulders.
“Yeah, babe I got–”
“Yeah, because you’re so intimidating in that dress,” Becky cut him off with a snort.
“It’s a tunic!” Lucas replied, huffing his chest out.
“Shush, it’s starting,” Willow interrupted, hand already deep in popcorn.
Tara only lasted minutes before her head was buried into Willow’s neck, shielding her eyes from the screen. She stayed like that for most of the night, finally falling asleep during Night of the Demon.
Lucas was the next to drift off near the beginning of The Ring, head tilted back onto the bed and arm still around Becky. Neither Willow nor Becky noticed their slumbering significant others and followed them into sleep before the movie was over.
Tara woke with a start at the sound of a shrill scream and almost leapt out of her skin from the fright. After a moment of gathering herself, she realised she was still on the floor and the scream had come from the television.
She was quick to turn it off and flip the lights on, though was surprised when no one else woke up.
Becky and Lucas were slumped over each other on against the bed and Willow was sprawled on the floor now that Tara wasn’t there for her to rest on. The floor was littered with empty cans and candy packets, so Tara did a quick and quiet clean-up until the floor was as clean as it was when they had left for the fair earlier.
Once that was done, she regarded the others again and decided to just let them sleep. She got the spare blanket from the closet and covered Lucas and Becky, then got herself under Willow and lifted her slowly into the bed.
Willow started to stir, but Tara calmed her with a kiss and covered her up again when she settled.
She went to brush her teeth and changed into some pyjamas, then gratefully crawled in beside Willow and nestled herself under her girlfriend’s chin.
She fell asleep for the second time that night, beside the only person she ever wanted to know the peace of slumber with.