Buffy reached her two friends at that moment. She noticed that Willow had a grin on her face but Xander was looking rather worried.

�What�s up my fellow buds?� She smiled at her friends. �Xander, what�s with the face? You look like you spotted a hyena.�

�Ha ha.� Willow laughed dryly. Xander tried a weak smile and failed.

�I-I hafta go. Get to...Gym. Ms Webber is going to kill me if I�m tardy again. Bye!� Xander rushed off, grabbing his bag as he fled. < What�s *with* him? He never rushes to phys ed unless it was girls basketball tryouts! > Buffy pondered. < Maybe its all the stress of Giles� new prophecies. He�s got everyone in a frenzy. >

�So Buff, how�s dea- I mean, Angel? That hunt last night must have been really...eventful.� Willow asked with slight tension. Buffy didn�t notice.

�Oh, you don�t have to use that cover story with me. Only around Giles. You know how he is. �A slayer is a slayer is a slayer. You can�t slay and have a social life. It�s unheard of!� .� She attempted to mimic Giles� British accent, failed, but �Willow� got the point. �But it was really great last night.�

�No details, please,� �Willow� asked, her eyes rolling when Buffy turned away.

Making her way to the locker rooms, Willow forgot what she was doing and went into the girls changeroom.

�Eiiik!� Pam Brinkles shrieked when she saw Willow enter in Xander�s body. �Get out Xander, you pervert!� shouted Lisa Goldstein grabbing a towel and throwing at the startled Willow. She ducked quickly out of the changeroom and rushed into the boys locker room. She saw Clive from English who followed her into the room.

�Hey Harris, trying to play peeping tom?� He laughed and walked over to a locker to his right.

�Uh, I was just preoccupied,� she mumbled as she put down Xander�s side bag and sifted through it quickly.

�Yeah right,� and Clive proceeded to make a vulgar comment. Willow turned away in disgust, and found Xander�s gym shorts and polo shirt. Then she remembered she was in Xander�s body, and started to take off his jumper. She noted the trim and healthy build of Xander under his singlet, but blushed from the flesh that was his. She slipped on the crumpled shirt, but she felt a little uncomfortable taking off the slouchy pants in front of Clive and four other students, who were already stripping and changing into gym gear. Finally, but reluctantly, she slid off the pants to reveal his boxers. Totally embarrassed now, she quickly jumped into the shorts and proceeded to tie the large sneakers onto her feet.

Xander was in a total panic. He had turned up to Willow�s history class to discover they had a test on sixteenth century cultural diversity and agriculture in Ireland or some topic like that Xander couldn�t remember. Then he had accidentally put his own name on the test paper. He crossed it out and wrote Willow Rosenberg, but the he realised it wasn�t her handwriting, so he crossed that out again. He had tried hard to comprehend the questions, but Xander�s history class were doing a completely different topic. He hated to think that Willow�s perfect average would be pulled down by his own idiocy. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the ringing of a bell. It was the end of history.

�Class, please put down your pens. Leave your tests on my table with your name on it. Dismissed.�

He looked down at his paper. He quickly circled any answer and cringed as he put it on the desk.

Willow was fighting for breath. She had no idea that Xander was supposed to be doing track, and despite her new body, she was feeling a little tired. < It�s still amazing, how I can run much faster now. It�s a really new, weird sensation to suddenly have a different physique. > All the running had been going well, until she missed a hurdle and tripped over. She pulled herself up and brushed at her newly skinned knees. < Oh no! I�ve wrecked his body already! > She felt so disappointed in herself as she walked back to the locker rooms < the boys locker room! > She sighed. < Can�t I even take care of Xander for *one* period? I�m such a total unco. >

�Aw, how�s poor little Harris going? Skinned a knee? Do you want mommy to kiss it all better?� She heard the nasty voice of Jackson, a super-jock. He and his two friends laughed at his pathetic joke. Willow just ignored them. She had heard that they often gave Xander a hard time since he hung around with girls.

�Harris doesn�t want to say anything. Why�s that, Smash?� Jackson asked his friend Kyle Smachdon mockingly. �Maybe because he thinks if he ignores us, we�ll go away. Sorry, you twerp. That�s only you�re imaginary friends.� Willow felt her anger surge inside. < How can Xander that this day in and day out? Oh Xander...>

�Either his imaginary friends, or his girlie friends.� He laughed cruelly. �Isn�t that right guys?� They laughed together.

�It�s useless talking to a bunch of morons.� She retorted quietly. The laughter stopped.

� *What* did you just say? You�re girlie voice is too soft!� Jackson�s eyes narrowed. He crossed his arms over his broad chest.

�You heard what I said.� Willow told him coldly. �There�s no point in talking to someone who hasn�t got two brain cells to rub against each other.�

�Nobody talks to me like that, you understand, Nancy-boy?� He crossed the changeroom in five angry, easy steps. �Nobody.� He reached �Xander� and pushed �him� against the lockers forcefully.

Willow felt the breath get knocked out of her as she slammed into the metal lockers, a hollow resounding echo. �Big words for such a little mind.� She couldn�t hold back the voice she loved to hear. Xander�s. She held back a wince as Jackson grabbed her collar and slammed her against the lockers again.

�You�re gonna get it *bad*, Harris.� He threatened, pulling back his right arm. Willow knew that she had to do something before Xander�s body disintegrated into broken bones, so she did the only thing she could think of. She brought her knee up. Hard.

She had all her anger and fear in that single motion, and she knew it hurt like hell. It was a bizarre feeling, and as soon as the waves of intense pain hit Jackson, she pulled herself off the lockers, grabbed her gear and was out the door. She didn�t even look back for the long howl of pain, but she did grin.

Cordelia grabbed Willow by the arm and yanked her new clumsy body down the hallway and quickly into a classroom.

�Its about time Xander.� Cordelia announced with more than a hint of accusation.

�Time? For what?� She asked nervously.

�We made an appointment, remember? Get with the program. I have so much stuff to do, I don�t have time to spend chasing you around school.�

�You seem to always have enough time no matter what,� Willow shot back. She felt her heart thud angrily at her best friends girlfriend. No matter what, she could never forgive, or even like, the girl who had been the constant source of ridicule and exclusion for both her and Xander.

�I�m not going to stand around and be insulted by you! I�d never go out of my way to chase you.� She spat in anger, but she pounced towards Xander�s body, trying to catch him in a huge kiss. Willow yelped and jumped away, leaving Cordy to sprawl over a table and knocked over a blackboard duster.

�XANDER!� She screamed. �You *moron*!� The brunette pulled herself up, her whole being seething.

�Cordy, that�s not a great look.� Willow commented with wide eyes on the messed hair and make-up smeared with chalk powder

�How DARE you do that to me! I�m going to kill you.� She threw a punch towards Xander�s chest, hitting Willow with a surprise attack. She tried to escape the classroom, and dashed down the hallway, followed by a mad Cordelia.

Willow managed to eventually lose Cordelia, but decided to seek refuge in a computer classroom in case. She knew Cordy would never look there. she thought with bitterness. She seated herself at a terminal and casually browsed the computer.

Xander sat all by himself at lunch. Buffy was doing a make up exam and Willow was nowhere to be seen. He sipped at a grape soda when he began to feel to need to visit a bathroom. Building up a sweat, Xander tried to ignore the feeling and put down his drink.

�Uh, Willow?� A tall brown haired boy stopped behind Xander and looked at him nervously.

�Hey,� he replied, racking his mind for any references to any new friends of Willow.

The boy smiled at him, looking into his green eyes. �Um, I was just wondering if you were busy tomorrow night.�

�What�s it to you?� Xander said protectively. He crossed his arms over her chest. < I *didn�t* mean to do that! >

�Sorry. I wanted to...to ask if you�d like to...y�know, go out?�

�Listen, I�m busy,� he snapped back at the boy. < Who the hell is this jerk? >

�How about the night after?�

�Sorry, no.� He said smartly. < Who did he think he is? Casanova? > �I�m busy every night. I�m involved with, uh, Xander Harris, so leave me alone.�

�Oh, sorry Willow, I had no idea.� The anonymous boy shrank back into the crowd of dining students, and Xander sighed.

< Wait. What am I saying? >

�Xander! What are you doing in here?� The screech of Cordelia�s distinct vocals penetrated Willow�s eardrums, and she winced while minimising a file.

�The computer room? And I thought you might have had a chance at getting a bus ticket out of Dorksville, but you must be damned.�

Willow spun around on the chair.

�Aren�t you afraid your sheep might see you in the presence a nobody and immediately disown you from the flock? Or is mutiny too pass�?� she threw back with growing anger. How could Cordelia be so nasty to Xander and her for so long, and now expect that Xander will submit to being her loveslave?

�Keep this up, and even that pasty faced sidekick will reject you for the true loser you try to be,� Cordelia seethed, throwing her arms into the air. �God! What did I ever see in you? You don�t spend, you don�t drive, you just grope.�

�Hey, here�s a new phrase in the Cordelia receiving category. *I�m* dumping *you*, for your royal dogness and other words I just don�t want to soil Xander�s mouth with!�

�What!? Nooo way,� Cordelia gestured wildly with panic. �You are *so* not dumping *me*! I can in here with the intention to dump you, which equals a pre-emptive dumpage, so you are the loser in this scenario, gropeboy.�

Willow stood up, gaining a height over the brunette. �Cordy, you turn out the loser in every scenario, so lets just get this over with. You dump me. Whatever.�

And she stormed out of the computer room, leaving Cordelia gaping.

Xander had entered the library. It was almost the end of lunch and he wanted to see how Giles was going with the new prophecies.

�Willow!� Giles called from upstairs. He was holding open a weighty volume and made his way down the stairs. �I need your help.� Xander looked around, but suddenly realised who Giles was talking to and felt a nervous flush through Willow�s body. He was having a hard time trying not to look at the body he was occupying, but he couldn�t help it. He had spent a whole French lesson staring at himself.

�Yeah? What�s up, G-Man?� Xander called out cheerfully. He was actually having fun being in Willow�s body.

�Could you please cross reference this description with the currently updated demonic facts on that �thingie� right now? I need to find a definite match by this evening.� He passed the heavy textbook to Xander and waved vaguely to the left page. �I�ll be looking for some the Kail�shiar volumes upstairs. Tell me when you are finished please, Willow.� He smiled in a preoccupied manner as he walked away.

Xander stared at the book. Then he stared at the computer. He confidently clicked open the applications and opened a program. He typed in a few commands. Before he knew it, a strange honking sound was coming from the computer.

�What is that racket? That infernal creature-� Giles stepped out of the stacks to look at Xander working at the computer. To his horror, all the files were disappearing one by one on the screen. The Watcher quickly made his way down the stairs, while Xander did the only thing he could think of.

He bolted.

�Hey Wills! Great news,� Buffy said with a sneaky smile playing on her lips. Xander turned around from visiting the girls bathroom. He left when it reminded him of how much he needed to visit one of the cubicles.

�What is it?� Xander asked, feigning enthusiasm. He hoped it wasn�t another �exciting� episode of �Anywhere But Here�.

�Guess who I saw having the biggest fall out of the decade?�

�Who?� < How can this be good? > he thought to himself.

�Xander and Cordelia.� She chuckled. �They looked like they were �over�.� She made an �o� with both her thumbs and index fingers.

�And this is good how?� He wondered in bewilderment.

�It means that you can finally get a chance to do you move in.� Buffy explained.

�Huh? Why should this mean Wil-I mean, I move in?� Xander was totally baffled, except for that nagging feeling he had gotten from wanting to kiss Willow ever since that morning.

�Will-ow! Because you�ve been in *love* with Xander for, like, eternity.� Buffy said in exasperation. �You said it yourself: from five upwards, your heart has been devoted only to Xander. Gee, I can�t believe he hasn�t figured it out yet, with that sweet smile you *only* give Xander, Oz totally excluded. Just get to him soon, before some other girls snaps him up like a dead cockroach before annual fumigation.�

She grinned at Xander before a look of realisation crossed her face. �Gah, I forgot that Giles said to get my practise done now. Got book it! Good luck, Willow.�

Buffy left a stunned Xander sitting on a stone bench.

When the final bell rang, Willow was relieved beyond belief. She was exhausted from almost getting beaten to a pulp by the jocks, avoiding Cordelia, and then engaging in an exchange with her. Willow was mostly worried about what Xander would think about the latter, but she tried to push it out of her mind. < There are more important issues at hand. Like getting my body back. >

She met Xander at the front gates. He seemed to be mildly preoccupied.

�Xand, are you Okay?� she inquired gently.

He seemed to shake out of his reverie. He gave her a smile as he took her hand, and they walked downtown to the darker streets.

A few minutes they arrived at the magic shop, feeling more sombre then hours earlier.

�Hello, may I help you?� The same man gave Xander a wink and a courteous nod.

�Help? Did you know that spell was going to-�

�Make you understand your friend better? And don�t you? Haven�t you both learnt a bit more about the burdens each has to carry everyday? Knowledge, images, secrets . . .� he trailed off, looking from Xander to Willow.

�How can we reverse the spell?� Willow asked desperately, the toll of living someone else�s life bearing down on her.

�I�m afraid you only have two options. You can remain in each other�s bodies, *or* you could reverse the spell. But hear me out first,� he held his hand up as Xander and Willow both opened their mouths to opt for the latter. �The reversal has obvious side effects. One: both of your memories will be erased that you were ever friends. Two: everybody who knows you are friends will also have their memories erased. And three: you will be cursed to never become friends.�

�No, it can�t . . .� Willow whispered. �Xander, I need to tell you. . .�

She grasped the locket, the silver heart and opened it.

�Xander, I have to tell you, even though I�m with Oz, as in going out occasionally, I have to confess I�m not in love with him. I, I�m been-� she stopped talking when Xander put a finger to her lips.

�I know.� he simply said, the emotion in his eyes conveying his message. He blinked back tears at the thought of never seeing Willow ever again. The best friend he had loved and cherished for so many years.

�I, I feel the same about you, Will.�

Xander gazed into Willow�s eyes. He knew she truly wanted her body back. She couldn�t live in his body, *his* personality, and *his* �home�. It would be too much for her. < Oh Will, my Willow, how could I ever make your life a living hell? I�m a moron, more than a moron. I-I can�t believe I�m going to have to lose our friendship. But I know that you can�t live like this. I�ll give it up for you. > His eyes welled and he closed them. < I love you, Will. >

Willow felt the tears well up inside of her. < God, I can�t believe this. Our lives back, or our friendship. How can I live without him? I�d rather die then live an empty life. I�ll live. I know now that the most treasured thing isn�t you, Xander. It�s our friendship. I�ll never give it up. So be it. > A tear fell from her eye, and she shut them tightly. < I love you, Xander. >

In a brilliant burst of golden light, as the two hearts filled with such love and turmoil, the two souls swapped and settled into the rightful bodies. Xander opened his eyes and to his amazement, he was looking into the most beautiful face. It was full of purity and honesty. It was the face of an angel and it touched his soul so deeply, he felt his hands shake as he reached his hand to touch the radiance. Willows eyes opened to see the face of her eternal friend, an expression of gentleness and love. The soft hand touched her chin and caressed her skin. Xander caught her lips in a sweet kiss.

�You each chose to sacrifice your own happiness for the sake of the other. You have showed that you have a true friendship, which would survive any challenge. If I say so myself, I believe the spell has helped the both of you understand each other much better.�

Xander smiled under his teared eyes, so happy that he could look into the face of the girl he loved. He kissed away her all her tears.

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