A defiant daughter

"Hell, no, Mom!" cried Buffy. "This dress is a gift for me. I'm not handing it over to you, no matter what you say. Besides, you're already wearing a dress so you don't need this one."

"You sure you want to play it this way, Buffy?" asked Joyce.

"Yes," said Buffy.

"Very well," said Joyce. "You may wear the dress. But first, let me adjust it. Give it to me, Willow."

Before Buffy could respond, Willow was taking the dress off of her and giving it to Joyce. As Buffy looked on in bemusement, Joyce held up the dress, walked into the kitchen, and then got out a huge pair of scissors. Then Buffy watched in horror as Joyce presented to cut up the dress up into several strips of cloth, not one of them larger than the average headband.

Then Joyce returned and gave the remains of the dress to Buffy.

"There," she said. "You may wear it now."

"I can't wear this," said Buffy.

"Well, I wish you'd make up your mind," said Joyce. "First you want to wear the dress, then you don't want to wear the dress..."

"Damn it, Mom!" cried Buffy. "What is wrong with --"

Just then Tara of all people grabbed Buffy by the shoulders, pushed her against the wall, and started kissing her.

"What the hell!" cried Buffy when she had a chance to catch her breath. "Your girlfriend is standing right --"

"Sauce for the gander, Buffy," whispered Tara. "Besides, Willow knows why I'm really doing this."

"She does?" asked Buffy. "Gee, this is all so sudden..."

"Shut up, Buffy," whispered Tara. "I have something to say to you and I can't say it here. Try to sneak out later and meet me and Willow at the Bronze around eight o'clock. I'll hide some clothes for you outside so you don't have to go anywhere naked."

"I don't understand," whispered Buffy. "What's going on?"

"I can't tell you right now," whispered Tara. "But later on I will. Now push me away and slap me so Joyce won't get suspicious."

Buffy immediately pushed Tara away as ordered and then slapped her.

"What kind of girl do you think I am?" asked Buffy.

"It's been established what kind of girl we think you are," said Tara. "Now we're just negotiating other stuff. Plus now your nipples are hard. So you obviously didn't hate the kiss that much."

And with that, she and Willow beat a hasty retreat from the suspicious eyes of Joyce Summers.