E-mail: sarahelaine814@yahoo.com
Title: Drug of Choice
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I'm obviously not Joss. If I was, TARA WOULD BE ALIVE! So don't sue, okay?
Feedback: Pretty please with cherries on top!
Summary: Takes place after "Dead Things". In Part One, Tara goes out with some friends and meets a possible new one.
Author's notes: This is my way of exacting revenge. If you want to know the story, email me and I'll be happy to tell you how evil boys are.
PART ONE
She shouldn't have come. It was that simple. Tara shouldn't have come. She should be in her dorm room asleep. Instead she was sitting at a table at the Bronze...alone. Lexie had been so insistent that she join the group of girls from the dorm and now they were all dancing.
"Hi."
Tara looked up from her iced tea and smiled at the guy standing in front of her.
"Hi," she replied.
"Is anyone sitting here?" he asked as he gestured at the chair across from her.
Tara looked at the dance floor where Lexie and her friends were dancing. She looked back at the guy and shook her head.
"I'm Richard," he said as he took a seat and offered his hand for Tara to shake.
"Tara," she answered as she shook his hand.
"You look bored. Why aren't you dancing?"
Tara shrugged. "I kinda suck," she said and blushed.
"I doubt it," Richard replied and smiled. "You don't look like you could suck at anything."
Tara blushed even more and looked down at her drink.
"You have a beautiful smile," Richard said and lifted her chin with his finger.
"I...I'm...I just got out of a relationship," Tara said finally.
Richard slowly pulled his finger back and smiled.
"I'm sorry," Tara said.
"Don't be," Richard said sweetly. "That's fine. Can we be friends?"
Tara nodded and smiled. "I could use more friends."
Lexie suddenly appeared behind Richard and winked at Tara before taking the seat next to him.
"Who's your friend?" Lexie asked and batted her eyelashes.
"This is Richard," Tara explained.
Lexie introduced herself to Richard and pulled Tara up out of her chair.
"We're going to go dance," Lexie said to Richard. "Want to join us?"
Richard shook his head and motioned for the girls to go.
"I'll stay here and hold down the fort," he said.
Tara followed Lexie onto the dance floor and started dancing.
"He's cute!" Lexie hollered into Tara's ear.
Tara shrugged. "You can have him."
"Maybe I will," Lexie said and smiled.
Tara smiled back and lost herself in the dance. Sometimes there was nothing better than losing yourself in music and going where your body led you.
The song ended and Lexie pulled Tara back to the table. Tara settled into her chair and prepared herself to watch Lexie throw herself at poor Richard. She took a long drink of her iced tea and smiled as Lexie did her patented hair flip. Richard just looked uncomfortable and kept glancing over at Tara. Lexie sighed and turned back to Tara.
"I'm hungry. Want to get something to eat with me?" Lexie asked.
"Sure," Tara responded. "Let me just finish this tea." She drained the rest of her drink in one gulp and stood up.
"Do you want anything?" she asked Richard as she pulled her wallet out of her purse.
Richard shook his head. "I'm good."
Tara smiled and followed Lexie again, this time to the bar. She ordered a muffin and drummed her fingers as she waited for the cashier to get it.
"I'm suddenly starving," she said to Lexie. "Thanks for suggesting eating."
"I always forget," Lexie replied as she took a big bite of her croissant. "Other things on my mind."
"I know what you mean," Tara said and thought of Willow for the millionth time that day. She wondered how her ex-girlfriend was doing with her magick withdrawls. Hopefully Buffy and Xander were supporting her and helping her through them.
"Earth to Tara," Lexie said, pulling her out of her reverie. "Come back to us."
Tara smiled. "Sorry. I'm back." She shook her head to clear her thoughts and frowned as it made her dizzy.
"You okay?" Lexie asked.
"I feel weird," Tara replied. "Like...weird."
"Do you need to sit down?" Lexie asked as she took Tara's arm.
Tara nodded and let Lexie lead her back to the table. She gratefully took a seat and put her feet on the empty seat next to her.
"What's wrong?" Richard asked quickly. "Are you okay, Tara?"
Tara nodded and smiled weakly. "I'm fine. Just feel weird." Her stomach rolled and Tara groaned. "I think I'm going to puke."
Lexie's eyes widened and she stepped back reflexively. "Really?"
Tara shook her head as her nausea abated. "I think I'm okay. But can you take me home?"
Lexie nodded and started gathering her things.
"I can take her," Richard said. "You guys live on campus, right?"
Lexie nodded hesitantly and looked at Tara.
"It's okay," Tara said. "I don't care how I get there. You can stay and dance."
"Are you sure, Tara?"
"Yeah. I just want to crawl into bed and stay there."
"I'll come with you," Lexie said suddenly. "Jenn can take the car back."
Tara started to shake her head and then decided that she really didn't care. Her only coherent thought was that she wanted to be in bed. Everything else seemed like a blur. Somehow Lexie and Richard got her to Richard's car and she curled up in the back seat, hoping that she didn't puke on Richard's upholstery. Every turn made Tara's head spin and stomach churn and she prayed that they would make it to the dorms quickly. The car stopped and the back door opened and strong arms helped Tara stand. She clung to Lexie as Richard ushered them into the dorm and up the stairs.
"I'll be okay," Tara said quietly as they stopped in front of her room. "I just want to get in bed."
"Do you want me to tuck you in?" Richard asked, worry etched on his face.
Tara shook her head and clutched her stomach.
"Are you sure? I can come in and tuck you in," he offered again.
Tara again refused and again and again as he continued to offer. Finally Lexie pulled him away and Tara leaned gratefully against the cold doorframe. She watched Lexie and Richard continue down the hall before she put her key in the lock and let herself into her room. The twinkling Christmas lights she had strung around the window blurred and her stomach rolled. She turned and emptied the contents of her stomach into the waste basket. She should take it down to the trash chute but it seemed like such a long way to walk and so she crawled into bed and lost consiousness.
"There's so much to work through, trust has to build again on both sides, you have to learn if you are even the same people you were, if you can fit in each other's lives, it's a long and important process and can we just skip it, and can you just be kissing me now?" Tara
Edited by: xita
at: 12/29/02 7:36:53 pm
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