Author: eday69
Rating: NC-17
Feedback: Yep I love it. Please leave feedback on the Class of 99 thread on the Kitten Board.
Distribution: Anyone can have it if they want. Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters are the property of Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy.

Willow sat outside with Xander, Oz and Matt during lunch. They were all on drum line and usually had lunch together. Willow had met everyone over the summer and was really feeling like she was fitting in. The school was different from her school in California, but she liked it. And that girl, Tara. Holy Crap was she ever hot. Willow had noticed the crowd of cheerleaders her first day, and noticed the striking blond stand out among them. She looked different some how, and not just because she was the most gorgeous of them all.

Then yesterday when Tara came and spoke with her about music, it was beyond anything Willow had ever felt. This girl was truly a goddess, she knew about physics, music and completely hot. She was the whole package and Willow had never wanted someone as much as she wanted this girl. She noticed the group of cheerleaders walk across the street, much like they had the previous day. Willow had positioned herself strategically so she was in full view of the blond. After they had crossed the street Willow asked.

"Do you guys know a cheerleader named Tara?"

"Yeah, she's only like the most popular chick here, plus totally hot." Oz said.

"I've known her since elementary school." Xander piped in with his mouth full of sandwich.

"Too bad she's gay though." Matt exclaimed.

"Really?" Willow questioned contemplating her new found knowledge. "Too bad for you guys, score one for me." She said.

"Please Wills you have no chance with that girl." Xander said.

"What? Why not?"

"You're in band, she's a cheerleader, we don't mix." Matt explained.

"That doesn't make any sense."

"That's the way of the world Wil." Xander said.

They had accepted Willow in the drum line, despite her being the only girl. She quickly got the nickname Wil a few days after band camp. She didn't mind though, she had always gotten along better with guys than with girls.

"Hey there's your girlfriend now, why don't you go talk to her." Matt teased as he saw the cheerleaders crossing the street.

"Shut up." Willow sulked. "I am so going to kick your ass."

The three friends laughed and enjoyed the rest of their lunch. Willow was beyond disappointed that she didn't have a single class with the amazing blond. She was in all the advanced placement classes, so the likelihood Tara would be in her class was slim. She did have 2nd hour off on Tuesday and Thursday and it seemed like the blond did too, so that was a plus.

The band had field show practice after school. Willow loved field show. It was so much fun to march around and learn which moves go with which piece of music, then putting it all together to make something so great was really awesome. Although in the beginning field show practice was slow and tedious. The line didn't have their drums on since they were just learning the second portion of the show, and weren't going to be playing. Willow had set her chips out on the field and stood on the first one, while the others marked their places with plastic chips and got set. She idly toyed with her mallets, as she waited for the underclassmen to understand what was going on. She thought of the blond, having only talked to her twice, she was completely crushing on the girl. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts she almost missed the count off. She crab stepped over to her next chip, hit it right on the 8 count and then proceeded to move backward to her third chip, and then again to her fourth. She looked around and noticed many people stumbling around trying to find the chips they had set. She frowned, her band in her old high school was one of the top bands in the state, they had actually won state her junior year, and came close her sophomore year. This was a totally different world she was getting herself into.

"Hey Wil. Dr. C said we could go practice since we have our moves down." Matt said to Willow. Matt was the other Toms player and stood next to Willow for most of the field show.

"Cool." Willow said and they set off to grab their drums and practice.

At 4:30 everyone was packing up to leave, the drum line was one of the last people off the field. Willow wore her harness and toms as she made her way toward the gate and back to the school. She noticed Tara sitting on the hill that led into the school. As she approached Tara stood up. Is she waiting for me, it certainly looks like it. Willow thought as she got closer.

"Hi." Tara greeted.

"Hey what are you doing here?"

"We just got done with practice, and I heard you guys out here, so I thought I would come by and say hi, so um...hi." Tara said, regretting her decision to wait for Willow.

"No I'm glad you waited, it's nice to see you."

Both girls remained silent, until Xander and Matt started taunting them from afar.

"Score one for Wil." Xander shouted mocking Willow's earlier statement.

"You go girl." Matt mocked in a spot on impression of a stereotypical homosexual.

"Sorry their, well their high school guys." Willow apologized.

"No problem, my friends are like that too, in more of a girly way." Tara smiled, and Willow thought she would collapse right there. "So these are the alleged toms?" Tara said pointing to the drums Willow still had attached to her.

"Oh yeah." Willow said forgetting she was wearing them. She flipped the drums down so Tara could have a look. "Here, try them out." She said as she handed Tara a mallet. Tara grasped the mallet and hit one of the toms, the sound rung out and she smiled. She tested the other toms, hearing the different sounds that she could make.

"Cool." Tara said as she started to hit the toms more forcefully and faster.

Willow watched on at Tara's child like fascination at her drums. She smiled, she felt her heart flutter at the sight.

"That's really neat." Tara smiled as she handed back the mallets. "Do you want to grab some coffee or something?"

Willow grabbed her cell phone and checked the time. "I can't, I have to go to work." Willow regretfully said and cursed herself for thinking she should get a job.

"Oh." Disappointment evident on Tara's face. "Where do you work?"

"A candy store in the mall."

"Oh Mr. B's?"

"Yep that's the one." Willow said as they both slowly walked toward the school. "Maybe coffee another day? I have Tuesdays and Thursdays off from work." Willow said hoping they would be able to have a coffee date sometime soon.

"Yeah we'll get together sometime soon." Tara said, already mapping out her week in her mind.

"Well I have to go, I'll talk to you later." Willow said walking backwards towards the school as Tara made a move to go to her car only turning around when Tara did. She didn't want to go into the band room, especially since she knew she would get ribbed by the line. They didn't disappoint, she was teased mercilessly until she made a quick get away.