Bus ride

"We were just about to move on," Willow said. "You can come with us. We'll... figure something out."

And that was how Tara found herself sneaking out of a motel. By then they'd remembered she could just go out through the wall, which made getting onto the street much easier, and she'd sprinted to the beaten-up schoolbus they'd all taken from Sunnydale.

A small frame had been set up at the back, right out of the way, with a blanket purloined from the motel hung up over it. Tara ran over to it as quickly as she could, crouching under it as soon as she could. Even if she couldn't wear anything without it passing through her, the frame would hold something up sufficiently to hide her trembling naked body from view.

Then she just had to wiat. She couldn't see out, she could just hear the Slayers slowly fill the bus. She heard murmurs, and her cheeks blazed to hear that the nude blonde witch who'd appeared out of nowhere did very much seem to be a popular topic of conversation.

She bit her lip, feeling the tears start up again. Oh Goddess why did this have to happen to her?

"How you doing in there?" Willow's voice came from one side of her.

"B-b-b-better," Tara said. "D-don't look."

"OK," Willow said gently. "Just relax. We've got a more permanent home we should be getting to by the evening, we'll have plenty of time to get you comfy there."

"A-a-a-and find out how I can get dressed," Tara said.

"If you want," Willow said.

Why did she sound disappointed?! Tara whimpered, shaking, but thanking her lucky stars she wasn't out in the open any more.

"You in there?" said the voice she'd come to identify as Kennedy from her other side. There was a thud as she took her seat.

"Y-yeah," Tara said.

"I know this is weird," Kennedy said. "But I'm not going to be weird about it or anything. More the merrier, you know."

"Wh-what?!" Tara yelped.

The bus juddered to life. Tara crossed her arms, still trembling, as the engine hummed. The conversation came to a brief end as the bus began moving.

And the incorporeal Tara passed right through the back of the bus, leaving her suddenly crouched in the middle of the street again. It took her a second to realise the sheet had gone, and a second more to scream.

She lifted her arms, waving frantically, but the rear-view from buses had never been good. She waved in a panic, screaming, unheard as the school bus drove off.

And then she realised she wasn't alone on the street and quickly drew her arms back in, whimpering.

Ok, she wasn't in any physical danger, she knew that. If she was incoporeal enough to pass through a bus then she could walk through a vamp nest and come out unhurt; her cheeks flushed at the thought. She just really didn't want to. And lack of physical harm didn't mean there wasn't utter humiliation awaiting her, Tara reflected, as she fidgeted and briefly spared one hand to wipe her eyes before returning to vainly trying to cover up her bared body.

They'd notice she was gone. Right? They, well, they couldn't see her and maybe they expected her to be quiet so maybe they wouldn't talk to her but, oh Goddess please say they'd try eventually, please say they'd realise...

The butt-naked witch looked round the street in a panic, exposed to watching eyes and without a clue where to run next.