September 1988 Sunnydale, CA

Buffy Summers tightened her death grip on her mother’s hand and looked up at her.

“Buffy don’t be scared honey.” Her mother smiled down at her and tucked a lock of blonde hair behind her daughter’s ear. “You’re going to make lots of new friends.”

Buffy had serious doubts about that but followed her mother into the admissions office of Sunnydale Elementary, and listened as her mom checked her into her first day at her new school.

“Hello, yes, I’m Joyce Summers, here to finalize everything for my daughter, Buffy’s first day.”

“What grade is she entering?” enquired the elderly admissions clerk.

“Second,” replied Joyce. “Elmwood Elementary in L.A. was supposed to forward her records, have you received them?”

Buffy tuned out of her mother’s conversation, and looked sadly out of the window into the busy hallway where groups of kids were walking and laughing together.

The door to the admissions office opened again and Buffy turned to see a pretty woman with dark hair and bright blue eyes walk in, practically dragging a little boy with curly brown hair and glasses behind her.

“William,” the woman exclaimed, “please don’t make this more difficult than it has to be.”

‘She sounds like Mary Poppins’, thought Buffy as she tried to listen to their conversation, but the boy is mumbling and his mother has bent over to whisper in his ear. The woman stood and introduced herself as Anne Pratt to the second admissions clerk, and stated that she is there to register her son William for second grade.

Joyce whispered to Buffy. “Did you hear that? Another new student in your grade.” She turned to Anne. “Hi, sorry I couldn’t help overhearing, I’m Joyce Summers and this is my daughter Buffy, we just moved here from L.A., is your son a new student as well?”

“I’m Anne Pratt,” said Anne, reaching out to shake hands with Joyce. “Yes, yes my son, William and I recently relocated from England, and I’ve been unsuccessfully trying to convince him that he would not be the only new student, so thank goodness, there is one!”

“I’ve been having similar conversations with Buffy,” laughed Joyce. “Buffy, William, why don’t you go have a seat and get to know each other while we finish up the paperwork?”

Buffy reluctantly let go of her mother’s hand and glanced over at William to see if he is going to comply with her mother’s request, he looked up at his mother who nodded, and he walked with Buffy over to a sofa by the office door.

The two sit there for a few minutes swinging their legs and looking at their mothers laughing and talking to each other.

“England is on a’nuther continent,” Buffy finally said.

William looked at her.

“Did you come here in an airplane?” she continued.

“Uh huh.”

“Were you scared?”

“No,” he replied defensively and a little loudly. “I’m not a baby, I’m seven and a half.”

“Sorry, I’m sorry,” Buffy said quickly while glancing towards her mother. “I didn’t mean you’re a baby, I meant I would be scared cuz I’ve never been on a plane…that’s all.”

“Oh.”

The two children lapsed into silence, Buffy looked over at her mom who was still talking to Mrs. Pratt. She wondered how she is supposed to make friends with this boy if he wouldn’t even talk to her.

“You talk really cool - like the kids in Bedknobs and Broomsticks. Do you think you can teach me how to talk like that? Oh…did they have movie screens on your plane like they show on TV?”

“Yes,” he begins hesitantly. “I saw a really funny film about a cartoon rabbit called Roger.”

“Na aww, I heard about that one. It’s PG and Mom wouldn’t let me watch it! You’re sooo lucky, I bet everyone has seen it ‘cept me!” Buffy hunched over and started to pout.

William reached over to pat her shoulder. “Don’t worry it wasn’t that great.”

Buffy smiled at him. “OK, but you need to tell me all about it so I can pretend that I’ve seen it, and then everyone here won’t think I’m a baby.”

Relieved to see his new friend happy again, he launched into an animated description of the movie.

The two mothers looked over at their children. “I must say that I’ve never seen William open up so quickly before, he is usually quite shy,” said Anne.

“I’m just surprised that he’s able to get a word in edgewise. Buffy can be a little overwhelming at times.”

“That may be just what William needs right now,” replied Anne thoughtfully. She often worried that such a big move after dealing with the recent divorce of his parents would drive the boy further into his shell. This little girl, Buffy, seemed to be someone who could get him to interact. “We should get together sometime - for the children’s sake.”

“Yes, that would be lovely,” responded Joyce, thinking that a little adult conversation wouldn’t hurt either. “Are you free this Saturday?”

The two mothers continued making plans as they gathered up their children.

~*~*~*~*~*~

April 1989

“I don’t know, Buffy.”

“Will-yum,” whined Buffy. “You promised!”

“Right, but that’s before your mum said we couldn’t.”

“Whatever,” Buffy waved dismissively. “She didn’t say we couldn’t go to the Brucker’s pond to catch tadpoles.”

“But she did say we couldn’t ride our bikes past Oak Street and the pond is waaay past there.”

“Right, I know, so here is my plan, we ride to Oak, then we walk our bikes to the pond. Seeee? That way we’re not really breaking the rule.”

“We’re going to get in trouble.”

William wondered why he was even bothering to argue with Buffy. He knew she would get her way in the end. He also knew that they were going to get caught because they always got caught, but that didn’t stop Buffy from continuing to create her seemingly foolproof plans for adventure, or from him following along.

“William, you said we could catch a tadpole and watch it grow into a frog jus’ like in the film they showed in science class. You said it would be cool an’ we could get a fish tank an’ feed it bugs an’ everything.” Buffy paused to take a breath. “Now you want to change your mind cuz of silly rules.”

“OK, OK. We’ll go, I’m just saying we’re gonna get grounded - again,” warned William as he pushed off on his bike and started pedaling towards the pond.

“Don’t worry, William, my mom will never find out if we keep the frog at your house,” shouted Buffy gleefully as she pedaled furiously behind him.

***Half an hour later***

“So what do you want to tell your mum?” said William as he looked over at Buffy and wondered how they were going to explain being soaked through and covered with mud.

“Maybe we say we had a mud fight?” she suggested hopefully.

“Better not lie.”

“Yeah,” she sighed dramatically. “Thanks for rescuing me, William.”

“It was nothing. Anyway you could touch the bottom, it’s not like you were going to drown.”

“I really thought those lily pod thingies would hold me. They were huge!”

“Lily pads,” he said rolling his eyes.

“I’m really sorry you lost your glasses William, is your mom gonna be real mad?” Buffy asked looking truly remorseful. “I’ll say it was all my fault, and that only I should get punished. Don’t be mad at me, OK?”

“It’s all right, Buffy. I’m not mad at you and we had fun. I just should’ve taken my glasses off before I jumped in after you.” He stopped walking and balanced his bike with one hand then threw his other arm around her shoulders as they continued home.

“William?”

“Yeah?”

“How long do you think we’ll be grounded for?”

“At least a week I’d guess.”

“William?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think there will still be some tadpoles at the pond in a week?”

May 1990

***On the Summers’ back porch***


“But why do you have to go?” she sullenly asked while kicking at the bottom step.

“Cuz he’s my Dad and the judge made the rules in the divorce, and if I don’t go my mum will be in trouble.”

“Can’t you just tell the judge you don’t want to go?” asked Buffy

“No.”

“Three months is a long time, William. It’s the whole summer, what about all the plans we made? It’s not fair!”

“I know.” He ducked his head and played with his laces to hide the tears welling up in his eyes. “I really wanted to go to the beach with you, but I can’t. I gotta go to London and be with my dad cuz of the stupid custody agreement.” Tears hit the dusty step next to his sneakers, and Buffy quickly sat down next to him and put her arms around him.

“Don’t worry, William. I won’t go to the beach. I’ll stay home, and we can go together next summer. Don’t be sad, OK?”



***At the same time inside the Summers’ house***



“Honestly, Joyce, I was just as surprised as William when his father insisted on his visitation rights this summer.” Anne put her coffee cup down on the table and continued, “Ethan hasn’t even bothered to call for two years, and I just know he’s doing this out of spite. He thought that I would fail on my own and come running back to him.” She looked at the woman sitting across the table from her. “I suppose this is the only way he knows he can hurt me now, and he is going to use it.”

“Oh, Anne.” Joyce reached over and grasped her hand sympathetically. “Maybe he truly wants to rebuild his relationship with William.”

“I truly hope so…for my son’s sake.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

August 1990


“Mom, Mom, Mom!” yelled Buffy as she stampeded down the stairs. “William is coming home today!”

“I know, I know. You’ve kept me updated with a daily status report. Now sit down, eat breakfast, and I’ll give Anne a call to see when we can meet up with them.” Joyce picked up the phone and directed her daughter towards the table.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Buffy wrinkled her nose then sat down next to her friend on the sofa in the Pratt’s living room. She didn’t get it. William was gone for almost three months, and now he didn’t even want to talk to her. She had made her mom rush over here, and he had barely glanced up from the TV when she came in. He didn’t even like Chip n’ Dale Rescue Rangers.

**********

Anne peered into the living room at the two oddly quiet children before softly closing the sliding doors that separated it from the kitchen, and then sat down at the kitchen table with Joyce.

“I am so frustrated, Joyce. He has been almost unresponsive since I picked him up from the airport. I was really hoping that when Buffy arrived he would snap out of it, but…I’m afraid he has just retreated into himself.”

“Ethan isn’t physically abusive is he, Anne?” Joyce hesitantly questioned.

Anne folded her arms rested her chin in her hand and sighed. “No, that would be beneath Ethan. He would never raise his hand or his voice to me or William. He focuses solely on damaging you psychologically.” She looked up at Joyce. “Disparaging remarks that make you feel like less than nothing are his specialty. I married him when I was very young, when I didn’t realize that I deserved better. My family was poor, and he was an older well-to-do university professor. I thought he was saving me.” She covered her eyes with her hands. “I woke up one day and realized that my son was afraid of his own shadow, and I knew I had to leave Ethan or William would never find himself. I had hoped that the time we’ve spent alone together, and his time with Buffy would have built up his self esteem to a point where Ethan wouldn’t have an effect on him. I see now that I was fooling myself.” She paused. “I really don’t want to burden you with my troubles, Joyce…”

“No, Anne,” hushed Joyce. “We’re friends, our children are friends, and this is what I’m here for. Isn’t there any way to fight the custody agreement?” she suggested.

“I only wish,” sighed Anne. “But like I said he is very well to do and has a lot of powerful friends. It was all I could do to make the move to the states, and if I don’t follow his visitation rights to the letter I’m afraid William could end up back in England permanently. Right now, I can only fight Ethan with love and pray that will be enough to save my son.”

Joyce got up and circled the table to hug her now quietly crying friend, and silently hoped it would be enough as well.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sitting on a bench watching all the other fourth graders run around having fun at recess wasn’t Buffy’s idea of a great time. She glanced over at William who was seemingly absorbed in reading his history textbook. He’d been back almost two weeks now, and all he wanted to do was read and watch TV. Her mom said it was because William’s dad wanted him to be quiet all the time, and he had gotten used to it and needed time to change back to normal.

‘Be patient, Buffy.’

That’s all she heard these days, but she was tired of being patient. Truthfully, if she had other friends she would have left William to sulk by himself and would be off having fun, but she didn’t have any other friends because usually William was all she needed. Right now she was highly irritated at the thought of having to go and make a new friend when a perfectly fine BEST friend was sitting next to her. Her best friend whom she knew was smart enough to know that quiet time was over. So Buffy had come to the conclusion that her mom must be wrong and that something else was bothering her friend.

“William?”

He didn’t even look up from his book, just grunted, “Huh?”

Buffy huffed, rolled her eyes and finally asked, “Are you mad at me cuz I went to the beach without you? Cuz I didn’t want to, but my mom and dad said it was a family vacation and I was too young to stay at home alone. So if you’re mad, I’m really sorry and will you please forgive me and play with me again?”

William finally looked at her, his blue eyes blinking at her in surprise behind his glasses. “I-I’m not mad”

“Then what’s wrong? What did I do?” she implored, her green eyes tearing up. “Why don’t you want to be friends with me any more?”

William put his book down on the bench and grabbed his friend’s hand. “Buffy, you’re my best friend ever, and I’m NOT mad really, I’m just…I don’t know…being with my dad makes me feel…sad I guess…” He shrugged hopelessly, giving up on trying to explain how he felt.

“Well, now that you’re home, you can be happy and have fun again - like we used to - if you want?” She smiled widely at him. “I brought you some sand back from the beach and some really neat shells. Do you want to catch some doodle bugs?”

As William got up and followed Buffy out onto the playground, he realized that he couldn’t quite remember why he had felt so sad a few minutes ago.