Lies her roommate told her

Wait a minute, thought Buffy-in-Faith. How in the world did Kathy Newman manage to recognize me? I'm in Faith's body, not my own. And as far as I know, Kathy has never met Faith. So why is she saying that she knows me?

Kathy smiled again and said, "I do know you. You're Rose Dawson. That girl in the art class I visited about a hour and a half ago."

"I beg your pardon?" said Buffy-in-Faith.

"You know," said Kathy. "Rose Dawson. The young lady in Titanic who posed nude for Leo DiCaprio."

"Oh," said Buffy-in-Faith.

It figures that she would like Titanic, thought Buffy-in-Faith.

Hey, you like Titanic, said one of Buffy's inner voices.

Well, that's different, thought Buffy-in-Faith.

How? asked the voice.

Er, I don't have time to explain right now, thought Buffy-in-Faith. Kathy's talking.

"Anyway," Kathy was saying, "I was going to go down to the ceme -- er, park to do some thinking when I decided to drop in on the Bronze. And lo and behold, I see that blonde chick over there who reminds me of my old college roommate."

"Really?" asked Buffy-in-Faith.

"Yes, really, Rose," said Kathy. "Same blonde hair, same skinny figure... In fact, apart from the tats and the piercings -- and, of course, the obvious change in clothing style -- it looks like she hasn't changed a bit."

"Are you really sure that's her, Kathy?" asked Buffy-in-Faith.

"Sure I am," said Kathy. "In fact -- Hey, wait a minute! How did you know my name was Kathy?"

"You announced your name in that art class you interrupted, remember?" asked Buffy.

"Oh, right." Kathy continued. "Anyway, I've been looking for this roommate for the longest time. You wouldn't believe the problems she caused me."

"Shouldn't you just let bygones be bygones after all this time?" asked Buffy-in-Faith.

"Oh, that's easy for you to say," said Kathy. "You have no idea what it was like to live with that ungrateful skank."

"Actually I'd like to think I do," said Buffy-in-Faith.

"No," said Kathy. "You couldn't possibly have any idea, no matter how many roommates from hell you claim to have lived with."

"Well, actually..." Buffy-in-Faith started to say.

Then Faith-in-Buffy walked up to the bar and interrupted. "What the hell, B? I finally get one night free of your 'me and my shadow' routine and you show up here, anyway? Go get your own life for a change!"

Kathy just blinked and then looked from Buffy-in-Faith to Faith-in-Buffy. "You two know each other?"

"Well, actually..." Buffy-in-Faith started to say but again Faith-in-Buffy interrupted.

"Yeah, we know each other. Who the hell are you?"

Kathy smiled. "You don't recognize me?"

"Why on earth should I recognize you?" asked Faith-in-Buffy.

"We used to be roommates, Buffy," said Kathy.

"Roommates, huh?" said Faith-in-Buffy. "Well, that's certainly an interesting explanation, little miss Watchers Council rep. Too bad nobody here remembers you; otherwise your little story might have worked."

"And that's a very interesting South Boston accent you have, Buffy," said Kathy. "Too bad it's as phony as half the college IDs in this bar."

"Er, girls," said Buffy-in-Faith. "You don't have to do this."

"Stay out of this, B -- er, Faith," said Faith-in-Buffy. "I don't know why the rep is here, but you're better off letting me handle this."

Kathy just smiled. "It's so cute that you think I'm involved with this Watchers Council, whatever it is. It's even more cute that you talk about handling me as if I was a mere human."

"What's she talking about?" asked Faith-in-Buffy.

"Kathy's a demon," said Buffy-in-Faith. "And she's here to steal the soul of me, Buffy Summers, her former roommate."

Kathy Newman just stared at Buffy-in-Faith for a long while after that speech.

Then she did the one thing Buffy-in-Faith did not expect her to do.

She laughed in Buffy-in-Faith's face.