3rd Person's POV

Buffy is by herself, putting her books away as Cordelia saunters down the hall handing out little chocolates.

"Remember who to vote for for May Queen. As in, me."

She reaches Harmony and shows her a chocolate.

"Isn't this the bomb? I'm such the campaign strategist."

A throat clears and Cordelia turns around to see Laney frowning with her arms crossed.

"I mean Laney is the strategist... thanks again."

Laney shakes her head with a smile as she looks at Cordelia's grimace.

Harmony reads on the chocolate looking confused, "C... For Cordelia?"

"No, 'C' for Wilma." Cordell says sarcastically.

Laney laughs looking back and forth between the two. Harmony frowns still confused.

"Of course it's for Cordelia, little brain. This way, people will associate me, Cordelia, with something sweet!"

As she talks she hands out a couple others, then reaches Buffy. She starts to hand her one and then thinks better of it.

"I don't think I need the loony fringe vote."

Laney frowns as Harmony and Cordelia continue walking away. Buffy looks over at Laney with a sad smile then shrugs.

"I don't even like chocolate."

"Well, that was the lamest comeback of our times..."

Buffy spins around to see Xander and Willow approach, together.

"Hey! What's Cordelia up to?"

Buffy looks over at Willow, "Bribery. She's desperate to be the May Queen."

Xander shakes his head as he walks over to Laney, "Cordelia, man... she does love titles."

Laney looks over at Xander with a smile as he throws his arm over her shoulder.

Out of nowhere Willow starts cracking up, "Oh, God, remember in sixth grade... the field trip? When Cordelia--"

Xander bursts out laughing, "--right, right, the guy with the antlers on his belt--"

Laney chuckles nodding, "Not gonna lie... that was pretty hilarious. No matter how much I love Cordy, her judgment that day was not the best."

They are totally into this. Buffy gamely tries to keep up.

Willow lowers her voice to sound like a guy, "Be my deputy!"

Xander throws his head back laughing louder, "And she had the... with the hat..."

Laney who had been drinking from her water suddenly spits out everything in her mouth and laughs harder then ever, "The hat!"

Buffy frowns looking at the water puddle that was now in the middle of the group on the ground. No one else notices as they are too into reminiscing.

Xander holds his hand on his chest trying to calm himself, "Oh Man..."

"Okay, it's fun that we're speaking in tongues..."

Willow frowns forgetting Buffy was there, "I'm sorry..."

Xander waves his hand as if the story was nothing, "It was, we had this... you had to be there."

"It's not even funny."

Laney raises an eyebrow looking at her sister, "Really? It was freaking hilarious."

Willow glares at the clueless girl then looks back at Buffy, "Cordelia just has a history of trying too hard."

"What kind of moron would be May Queen anyway?"

Laney hits Xander on the chest glaring at him slightly. He frowns confused then remembers she had been may queen last year. He whispers sorry to her then frowns once more when Buffy replies to his statement also.

"I was."

"You what?"

Buffy shrugs, "At my old school."

Xander chuckles nervously, "So, the good kind of morons would do that. The non-morons, I mean. I'll
be in a quiet place now."

"I mean, we didn't call it May Queen, but we had the dance, and the coronation, all that stuff. It was nice."

"Well, you don't need that stuff now. You've got us."

Willow suddenly bursts into hysteric laughter again, "Be my deputy!"

Xander and Laney join Willow in laughing. Buffy looks off, lost in thought, then suddenly a guy bursts into the hall.

"Guys! Come on! Somebody wailed on Mitch! I think he's--"

Principal Snyder addresses the looming crowd of students, "--dead? Of course not, dead! What are you, ghouls? There are no dead students here! This week. Now clear back, make room, all of you!"

Buffy, Willow, Laney, and Xander arrive as Mitch gets wheeled out on a gurney. The paramedics stop for a moment and the kids rush over to Mitch's side.

Buffy hurries over to him, "Mitch, what happened?"

"I don't know... I heard something, I tried to grab a bat... and it hit me."

Laney who was behind Buffy frowns and leans closer to him, "What hit you?"

"The bat. By itself. Thing was floating! Knocked me out..."

The paramedics take him away.

Buffy looks back at the trio, "I better check out the scene."

She starts for the locker room but Snyder steps in her way.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Buffy frowns trying to think of a lie, "Uh... Mitch wanted me to get... his comb. He likes his comb."

"I don't think Mitch needs his comb right now. I think Mitch needs medical attention and you need to
stay away from the crime scene. You're always sticking your nose in--"

The gang had been witnessing this exchange. They walk past Snyder and start to speak louder.

Willow smirks, "What did you say? Mitch is gonna
sue the school?"

Snyder quickly turns away from Buffy, "Sue? Who?"

Xander shrugs, "Well, his dad is the most powerful
lawyer in Sunnydale."

Snyder hurries over to the gang with fear on his face, "Hold on! What have you two heard?"

"Mitch's dad. The lawyer. You've never heard of him?"

Laney nods at Xander and then glances over at Snyder, "Other lawyers call him the Beast."

"Look? That's all it said?" Willow tilts her head to the side in question.

Xander frowns, "Look at what? Look at Mitch?"

Buffy shrugs, "Maybe. All I know is it's a message."

"And?"

Laney holds up her hand, "And monsters don't usually send messages. It's pretty much, 'kill, crush, destroy'. This is different."

Giles walks up in the middle of this, "I'd say Laney is right."

Laney smiles widely, "I love it when you say that."

Xander scoffs and she sticks her tongue out at him. He puts his arm over her should as they sit side by side.

Buffy frowns looking at Giles, "Any theories?"

"Well, I'm not sure this is the place for discussing it."

Buffy looks down their table-- empty even though it's a crowded lunchroom-- then looks around.

"It's not like anyone ever sits close enough to overhear us." Buffy says shaking it off.

Willow nods agreeing with Buffy, "Come on. Give."

"It is a bit of a puzzle. I haven't actually ever heard of someone being attacked by a baseball bat."

Xander laughs, "Maybe it's a vampire bat... I'm alone on that one."

"Well, assuming the bat itself is not possessed, there are a few possibilities that bear investigating. Someone with telekinesis, the power to move objects at will... some invisible creature... or possibly a poltergeist."

Willow stammers, "A ghost?"

Giles nods, "Yes. An angry one."

Buffy grimaces, "Angry is right. It was a real scene in that locker room."

Laney looks confused, "So, if it's a ghost, then we're
talking about a dead kid?"

Buffy looks at her and shrugs then turns to Willow, "I suppose so. Willow, why don't you compile a list of kids who've died here who might have turned into ghosts."

Xander groans, "We're on a Hellmouth. It's gonna
be a long list."

"Have you seen the "In Memoriam" section in the yearbook?" Willow sighs.

Giles stands up to leave, "I'll research all the possibilities, ghosts included. Xander, may I count on your help there?"

"What, there's homework now? How does that happen?"

Buffy laughs, "It's all part of the glamorous world of vampire slaying."

"Well, what are you going to be doing?"

"Finding out what I can about Mitch. This attack wasn't random."

Xander shakes his head, "Well, I think I should do that part."

Buffy shrugs, "Fine. Ask around. Talk to his friends. Talk to Cordelia."

"Talk to Cordelia?" He looks over at Giles, "So, research, huh?"

Laney slaps his chest making him say ow then sorry.

"We'll talk to Cordy."

JUST FOR FUN

Laney's Outfit