"If you don't mind missing a few minutes of the first period, I'll pick
  you up just after sunset."

  She stared at the ticket, more than a little bewildered. Was Buffy's
  boyfriend asking her out? Surely not. So what was he doing?

  "What's that?" Buffy asked as she approached.

  "Oh, nothing," Willow shoved the ticket into her pocket. "Just a note.
  Notes! Chemistry notes. Just notes."

  "Okay." Buffy leaned against the lockers. "I was going to rent some
  good, weepy, romantic movies and mope about being guyless tonight. Want
  to come join me in my misery?"

  "Guyless?" Willow squeaked. "What happened to Angel?"

  "Oh, you know," Buffy waved her hands vaguely. "He's doing that moody
  and absent thing again. So, are you up for it? I think I'll get some
  ice cream, too."

  Willow wrapped her fingers guiltily around the ticket in her pocket. She
  couldn't go with him… It wouldn't be fair… Even if he and Buffy weren't
  technically together… Rink-side, on the glass…

  "Um. N… not tonight. I have to… I have stuff to do. At home.
  Tonight." Yeah, like figure out what to wear. Bad Willow, she thought.
  She cringed but Buffy merely shrugged.

  "That's cool. Moping is best done alone anyway, I guess."

  *******

  Willow would have changed outfits a dozen times if she'd had the wardrobe
  to do so. This is insane, she thought. What am I doing? What's he
  thinking? She finally settled on a pair of jeans and a casual sweater
  then sat down by the window in her room to watch the sun go down.
  Moments later she rose again and began to comb her hair for the sixth
  time in eight minutes. She missed the dark gray car that pulled up next
  to the Rosenberg mailbox.

  She jumped as the doorbell rang. She gave one last look at her slightly
  terrified reflection then flew down the stairs. She wasn't quite sure
  what she had expected, but the Angel that stood in her living room
  certainly wasn't it. His jeans were actually blue and there was no sign
  of his ever-present leather jacket. His tee shirt was tucked in and the
  flannel shirt over it was unbuttoned. He looked… normal.

  "I'm studying history at the community college," he was telling her
  mother. He turned to smile at Willow. "We met at the library."

  It was the same story Buffy had told her mom about him, she realized. He
  was trying hard to present a reassuring façade. It seems to be working
  pretty well, Willow thought. As long as Mom doesn't notice that he's
  standing in front of a mirror. Following the direction of her horrified
  gaze Angel looked startled and took two quick steps backward.

  "We really should be going, Mom. The game starts at 7:30."

  "Don't worry, Mrs. Rosenberg. I'll bring her straight home."

  Willow gave her mom a quick hug.

  "He seems like a nice young man." Mrs. Rosenberg whispered in her
  daughter's ear. "But be careful."

  "Thanks, Mom. Bye."

  *******

  "Nice woman," Angel said as he held open the car door for Willow.

  "Nice car," she replied. "Oh, I mean, yeah. She's great. When she's
  around, you know."

  He smiled as he closed the door and walked around the car.

  "I wasn't sure you'd come," he said softly as the engine began to purr.

  "Me either." She fidgeted with her seatbelt, not looking at him. "Why…
  why did you…?"

  "Relax, Willow. You're not doing anything wrong. I like hockey, but I
  hate going to games alone. When I found out you liked it, too, I just
  figured… why not?"

  "Why not?" she nodded. But she had to ask. "What about… Buffy?"

  "Not tonight." She saw his fingers tighten on the wheel. "The world
  doesn't revolve around Buffy Summers. Tonight it revolves around Willow
  Rosenberg."

  She smiled obligingly. As the car in front of them slammed on its brakes
  Willow had a sudden thought. "Doesn't it freak people out when you don't
  show up in their rearview mirrors?"

  He laughed. "Sometimes. I think so. But I don't drive much and it's
  always dark. So most people don't notice."