3rd Person's POV

In the gym, cheerleading tryouts are still going on. Laney had finally come to after five minutes. Giles told her that nothing was official he was just telling her off a hunch but he didn't want anyone else to know. So she promised to keep it a secret until they were sure she was actually for sure a potential.

Buffy, Amy, Cordelia, Laney, and ten or twelve others stand in the middle of the gym.

"...we still have to pick new cheerleaders. If you make the team, you'll find your name posted in the
Quad after lunch. Let's begin with group performance-- Cordelia, Buffy, Amy, Morgan, Laney and Lishanne."

The six girls walk to the center of the gym. Amy glares at her hands.

"Why do my hands have to sweat when I get nervous?"

Buffy looks over at her with a smile, "Don't worry, you'll do great."

The girls perform a group cheer. It includes synchronized leaps, twirls and a basketball cheer.

Lishanne shouts, "We're Sunnydale, Sunnydale"

The group cheers, "We Never Fail, Never Fail"

"Jump and Shoot, Swish and Score"

"The Other Team Is Such a Bore. YEAHHH!"

Morgan is okay. Lishanne is great. Laney is really good. Cordelia is surprisingly good, as is Buffy, still a little rusty but impressive.

Amy starts out well but tries too hard and misses a couple of synchronized moves. In the big finish, each girl does a cartwheel and slides to their knees one at a time. Amy's hands slip on the floor, and she careens into Cordelia.

Cordelia jumps up off the floor and looks at the judges, "You saw that, right? That wasn't me."

Xander and Willow walk through students as they talk about the day in the courtyard.

"I told Buffy about Amber."

Xander nods, "Cool. Was she wearing it?"

Willow frown looking at him in confusion.

"The bracelet. She was wearing it, right? That's pretty much like we're going out."

"Except without the hugging or kissing or her knowing about it."

"So now I'm a figure of fun. I should just ask, right?"

Willow shrugs, "Won't know till you ask."

"See, this is why you're cool. You're like a guy. You're my guy friend that knows about girl stuff."

"Oh great. I'm a guy." Willow replies with a sad smile that Xander doesn't notice.

Xander watches Laney's exposed legs in her cheerleading uniform, as she walks up to them.

"Hey losers. Where's Buffy?"

"I think with Amy. They should be here any second." Willow says.

"You know you call us names... but we all know you actually like us." Xander smiles looking at Laney's blank face.

"I like Willow because she's my sister. Do I like you? Let me think about that... hmmm no."

"I think you're just trying to hide your feelings."

"What feelings Alex?"

"Ah ha! You called me Alex!"

Laney frowns at him, "I always call you Alex dum dum."

"That's true but everyone else calls me Xander... you have to have your own form of name for me so you seem special."

Xander watches as a gleam of amusement passes by in her eyes. He opens his mouth to say something else but is interrupted by Amy and Buffy joining the circle.

He sees the Senior Cheerleader moving towards the bulletin board, list in hand. Girls begin to gather.

"Hey, they're posting the list!"

He bolts for the bulletin board where a sizable crowd has already gathered. The Senior Cheerleader posts the list and goes. Girls stand on tiptoes, push and poke, trying to see. A girl in tears, breaks out of the crowd and runs off. Lishanne, reading the list, jumps up and down with some friends.

Amy frowns, "I can't take this..."

"Spot me, I'm goin' in."

Xander takes a little dive into the throng and works his way to the front where he finds himself nose to nose with Cordelia at the list. He lets her check it out first.

"Women and children first."

Cordelia emerges, triumphant. She looks over at Amy, "You're lucky."

"I made it?" Amy asks with surprise written all over her face.

Cordelia laughs, "I made it."

Laney congratulates her then she disappears to tell everyone she is a cheerleader. Xander emerges from the throng, rubbing his arm.

"One of those girls hit me really hard, we have to start testing for steroids."

"Aw you poor little baby. You want someone to kiss it better?" Laney teases with a smirk on her face.

Xander grins widely taking a step towards her, "If it's you then heck yes."

"I'm kidding you idiot. Tell us the results."

Xander rolls his eyes, "One of these days... Laney you were number nine on the team and okay Buffy... Amy, not only did you guys make it, but you, Miss Summers, are the number one alternate and Amy's number three!"

Amy's face falls, she turns and walks off.

"Any what better way to celebrate than with a romantic drive-through for two at-"

Willow holds a hand up silencing him, "Xander, alternates are the ones who didn't make the team. They only fill in if something happens to the ones who did."

Buffy frowns moving after Amy, "Excuse me."

Xander grimaces, "For I am Xander, King of the
Cretins, and all lesser cretins must bow before me."

Laney looks away trying to hide her giggles. Xander quickly looks over at her and smirks.

"You laughed. You laughed at my joke..."

Laney shakes her head, "No I didn't."

Xander wags his finger in her face, "I knew you would warm up to me."

Laney angrily bites his finger making him yelp and pull his hand away from her. She smirks and walks away. Xander looks at his finger then back Laney's retreating figure then at Willow.

"Your sister's vicious."

The next day, Cordelia walks around slower and regaler than usual. She passes Xander and Willow not saying a word. Laney stands at her locker frowning as Cordelia passes by her too.

"Morning your Highness, beheadings at noon as usual?"

Xander frowns as Cordelia says nothing. He looks at Willow, "Okay, see how she has now clue I'm even a mammal, much less a human being?"

"None."

"This invisible man syndrome, a blessing in Cordelia's case, a curse in Buffy's."

"You're not invisible to Buffy."

"Worse, I'm just part of the scenery, like an old shoe, or a rug you walk on every day but you never really see-"

"-- like a pen that's all chewed up and you know you should throw it away but you don't, not 'cause you really like it that much but more 'cause you're just so used to it and-" Willow adds trying to be helpful.

"Will. That is the point and let's not drive it through my head like a railroad spike. What I have do-- what I'm going to do is just what you said-"

"Throw away the pen, forget about Buffy."

She tosses pen in trash.

Xander ignores her, "What I have to do-- what I'm going to do is be a man and ask her out. No more i.d. bracelets, subtle innuendo, or Polaroids outside her bedroom window late at night-- that last is a joke to relieve the tension because here she comes."

Buffy rounds a corner, heading their way.

"I know I'm relieved." Willow replies sarcastically.

"Alright. Into battle I go." He doesn't move an inch as she gets closer.

He looks over at Willow, "Would you ask her out for me?"

He shakes his head, "No. Man. Me. Battle."

Passing Cordelia at her locker. Buffy sees Cordelia reach for her combination-- her fingers miss it then finally find it. Buffy moves on and is intercepted by Xander.

"Buffy, how would you like to..."

Buffy looks back at Cordelia then at Laney who also is looking at her, "Is that even Cordelia's locker?"

Xander looks over in confusion, "Huh? I don't know."

Laney frowns and shakes her head as she hears Buffy, "Nope it's not. What is she doing?"

Xander continues on, "What I'm saying here is, accompany me Friday night..."

Buffy, not really listening, sees Cordelia give up on the locker which won't open for her and walk off.

"Hang on, Xander, I have to... we can pick this up later, you don't mind, do you?"

As she turns and goes. He watches her. A small high-pitched sound builds slowly in the back of his throat-- the sound of a plan going down, down, down.

He looks over at Willow and sees Laney now standing by her; too watching his epic fail.

Laney smirks and makes an explosion sound, "Pplllewww!"

Cordelia, still moving slower than usual, makes her way across campus. Buffy exits a building fifty yards or so behind Cordelia, following her, concerned. The teacher makes Cordelia her into the car and drive.
Cordelia's car launches into a nasty skid, right off the blacktop, onto the grass, careening out of control now towards the street.

Buffy starts running like hell. Cordelia steps out the car looking around disoriented. The dimmest shape of a UPS size truck starts bearing down towards her as she stands in the road. Buffy tears across the grass quickly. Laney exits out the building just in time to see Buffy tackle Cordelia to the ground just missing the truck. She hurries and runs over to the two laying on the ground.

"Oh my god! Are you guys okay?!"

"What's happening?!? I can't see anything!" Cordelia says as she starts to panic.

Buffy sits her up, "Cordelia, it's okay, you're gonna
be-- Oh, god..."

"Oh my god her eyes..." Laney says as the two stare in horror at Cordelia.

Her eyes were glazed over to a murky white.

"What's happening to me!?!"

JUST FOR FUN
Laney's Cheer Outfit