tamingthemuse | #107 - In Absentia - Pronouncement - angelswilliam

Title: Pronouncement
Fandom: BTVS
Characters: General Ensemble, brief mention of Angel/Buffy friendship
Prompt:

tamingthemuse #107 "in absentia"
Rating: 8 and older, just to be safe
Genre: Comedy
Word Count: 1079
Spoilers/Warnings: SPOILERS: "Graduation Day, Part 2," WARNINGS: Might seem snooty to some.
Summary: Principal Snyder is a doof, and he just keeps proving it again...and again...and again...and again....
Disclaimer: Not mine. The people who created, wrote, produced, and distributed the original characters and/or plots own everything this writing is based on. This is just me having fun. Besides, I'm broke, so you won't get nuttin' if you sue.
Feedback: Concrit and stroking are welcome. Flames will get R2-D2's CO2 spray in the face.
Author's note: Just a slight rewrite of who did what at the graduation ceremony for my plot's purposes.
Distribution: If I'm a member of your archive, community, forum, group, etc., you'll get it eventually. Anyone else, please comment with an invite.

The Sunnydale High School senior class waited less than patiently in the school gym as various faculty members and volunteer parents distributed the caps and gowns for them to wear in the ceremony that was an hour away. Mrs. Rosenberg approached Buffy, Willow, and Xander with theirs.

"Here you go, kids," she said with a smile, handing Buffy and Willow cellophane-wrapped gold caps and gowns, and Xander crimson ones.

"Thanks, Mom," Willow said with a weak smile.

The three of them turned to each other, shrugged, and tore into their packets. Just as they were pulling the gowns from the packaging, an already-dressed and rather animated Cordelia approached them.

"Look at this!" She indicated her gown, which had squares of fold creases its full length.

Buffy looked her up and down. "Very...commencementy."

Cordelia made a noise of protest. "It's a disaster! I look like a Slip-N-Slide!"

"As he nobly resists the obvious comment...."

"Shut up, Xander." Cordelia glared at him.

Willow shook her gown open, and it looked nearly as bad. "Look, Cordelia. We're all in the same boat." She looked pointedly at Buffy and Xander, who immediately let their gowns fall to their full length, as well. "See?"

Cordelia glared at Xander's, which only had a little crooked crease at the base of the right side of the split. "Xander's is almost perfect. Uh! Figures." With that, she turned on her heel and walked away.

Xander glanced between Buffy and Willow. "Hey! I think I'm entitled to one thing going right for me in high school."

Buffy gave a quick nod. "Your gown definitely has the right stuff." She moved forward and zipped his gown. "Very spiffy."

Willow grinned. "You can't ask for more than the Buffy Spiffy seal of approval!"

Buffy groaned. "One of these days I will think of a way to make Willow jokes."

Willow smiled fully at her friend. "I look forward to it!"

"Buffy!"

They all turned in the direction of the tense whisper to see Angel hiding underneath the bleachers. Glancing around, they all walked as casually as possible to him.

"So, what doom and gloom do you bring to us at such an inconvenient time, pale face?" Xander asked.

Barely giving him a slight narrowing of the eyes, Angel looked at Buffy. "The mayor's planning something. Big."

"On the one day that I can celebrate a normal accomplishment." Buffy's mouth twisted into a wry smile. "Why am I not surprised?"

"We've got to leave, Buffy," Angel told her. "He's already started. We need to stop him. The only way to get to him is to destroy his guards."

"Let me guess. His guards are a little less than human?"

Angel nodded. "They're demons." He shifted from one foot to the other. "Buffy, we really don't have a lot of time. I can tell you what we're dealing with on the way there."

"Right." She nodded, shrugging off her gown and kicking off her high-heeled shoes. "Business as usual. Do we have time to stop by my locker to get my fightin' shoes?"

He smiled slightly. "Sure."

"Let's go."

And, they were gone.

Xander shared a look with Willow. "Oooo-kay."

Willow grabbed his arm. "We should go tell Giles what's going on."

"And...what would that be, exactly?"

They completely ignored the faculty member explaining which side of their cap the tassle should be on before the ceremony, when to move it to the other side, and that they were absolutely not to throw their caps in the air at the end of the ceremony because they could poke someone's eye out. Their only thought was to get to where Giles was standing by the stage near the steps leading to the locker rooms.

"Erm, why aren't you--" He looked around them. "Where's Buffy?"

"That's why we're here," Willow said breathlessly. "Angel just came to get her. Something's up."

"Oh? Is it serious?"

"He seemed to think so." Xander said, pressing his lips together in a sneer.

Glancing at him, Willow continued, "He said something about the mayor planning something and that they needed to get through his demon guards to stop him."

"Oh, dear." Giles removed his glasses to wipe them with his handkerchief. "Is there anything we can do?"

"He didn't say so. He just grabbed Buffy and ran."

"He was in a big hurry. Wouldn't even let her talk. Practically konked her on the head and dragged her by her hair."

"Xander. Not helping."

Xander looked at Willow and shrugged. "What?"

Giles replaced his glasses. "Yes. Well, Angel would have asked for our help if he'd needed it. I--I think the best course of action for you two is to commence--well, commencement." He smiled warmly at them.

Willow returned his smile and giggled. "See you there! C'mon, Xander."

~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~

As the previous graduate in line reclaimed her seat with the students seated in the grass before him, Snyder looked at the symbolic satin-tied roll of paper in his hand and sighed. Giles sidled over to him and nudged him with an elbow. Snyder favored him with a quick glare, and then briefly held the paper roll aloft. ""Buffy Anne Summers...in abstentia."

Giles nearly choked on a giggle at Snyder's mispronunciation of the word. Not only did the man concentrate more on policing the students than teaching them, but he wasn't educated himself. Perhaps that was why he shied from the teaching. Pillock.

The mispronunciation didn't escape Willow's notice, either; but, more importantly, her friend hadn't made it back for graduation.Guess the mayor had a lot of guards. She leaned forward, stretching up to share a sad look with Xander.

"Wait! I'm here! I'm here!" Buffy came running down the aisle between the groups of students and climbed the makeshift stage. "I'm here!"

Giles smiled widely and turned to Snyder triumphantly. "I believe you have something to give the young lady."

"It's not even real," Snyder grumbled, turning to hand the symbolic diploma to Buffy. He gave her an obviously fake smile. "You shouldn't even be getting this."

She returned his exact smile. "You shouldn't be breathing," she said quietly before turning away from his shocked expression and walking toward the two groups of students.

Buffy glanced to her right and smiled before taking the empty chair between Rachel Soper and Aaron Tasker. Under the protection of an outbuilding roof's overhang, Angel stood smiling with his arms folded proudly across his chest as he leaned against the outer wall.

~THE END~