Time passed, and before anyone realized it, it was Spring, which meant that deadlines for replying to colleges they had been accepted to were arriving. Everyone was on edge, trying to pinpoint which college they wanted to go to, including both Buffy and Spike.
He went over to her house one afternoon after he had called and was told by Joyce that Buffy was holed up in her room, not talking to anyone.
‘I think this whole college thing is intimidating her way too much,’ he thought as he drove. ‘The last thing I need is for my girlfriend to have a nervous breakdown.’
Joyce let him in when he arrived, and he quietly made his way to her room, knocking on the door.
“Baby, it’s me,” he said, surprised when he heard a startled gasp come from her room. She opened the door a moment later and stared at him. He noticed the sweatpants and tight tank top she was wearing as he leered appraisingly at her. “Comfy sheik looks nice on you, luv.”
“What’re you doing here?” she asked, frowning. “I thought we weren’t meeting up until tomorrow.”
“Called to check in on you, and your mum told me you were being a recluse in your room,” he said, moving past her and walking into her bedroom. She shut the door before leaning back against it and watching as he sat on her bed, amidst stacks of envelopes and papers. “So, why are you opting for the quiet life today?”
“I’m trying to send letters to the colleges I’ve been accepted to,” she said, looking down. “It’s been very difficult for me to decide which one I want to attend.”
“Well, I think any college would fight to have you grace them with your presence,” he replied, looking at an envelope and raising an eyebrow. “You didn’t tell me you applied at Berkeley.”
“It was on a whim,” she said, and he looked at her, tilting his head. “It’s a good school, and it’s not that far from home, I guess.”
“I thought you didn’t want to go to school in California?” he asked, and she sighed.
“I know, but after thinking about it a lot, it doesn’t seem that bad,” she said, looking away. “And they offered me quite a nice scholarship, one that would be silly to turn down.”
“You could do better than Berkeley,” he said. “I mean, it’s an amazing school- no doubt about that- but you’ve been accepted at equally awesome schools across the nation.”
“Well, if I went to Berkeley, it’d be a lot easier to… visit you,” she said sheepishly, and he frowned, standing up and walking over to her.
“Don’t choose a school here because of me,” he replied. “You deserve the best, and I don’t want you to regret your decision down the road because you recklessly chose to be closer to me.”
“What?” she asked, stunned. “Are you seriously telling me what to do?” He saw the anger flare up in her eyes. “Spike, if I choose to go to Berkeley, it’s for me, not you.”
“You just said it’d be easier for you to visit me if you went there,” he pointed out, and she sighed.
“Yes, that’s true, but it’s my decision, not yours,” she replied. “And if I want to go there, I’m going to.”
“I just don’t think you should choose a school while factoring me anywhere in the decision,” he said. “You know I want to be with you post-graduation and possibly for the rest of my life, but don’t pick a school based on their location in reference to me. We’ll find ways to meet up as much as possible, luv- nothing’s going to keep me from seeing you.” He grazed her cheek, and she nuzzled her face into his palm. “Just promise me you’ll give this a lot more thought before you say yes to Berkeley, alright?”
“I promise,” she said, pouting, and he leaned down to kiss her.
“Good,” he replied, smiling. “Now, get back to work- you have some schools to reject.” She giggled quietly and nodded, opening the door. “I love you, Goldilocks.”
“Love you, too,” she said, and he kissed her forehead before walking away and leaving the house.
She returned to her bed and sat down amongst the stacks of papers. Joyce walked in and sat on a chair near Buffy’s bed, taking a deep breath.
“I couldn’t help but overhear that serious conversation you had with him,” she said, noticing the sad look on her daughter’s face. “Everything okay, sweetheart?”
“Mom, if you were in my situation, what would you do?” Buffy asked quietly, looking at Joyce.
“Well, I’d listen to my heart,” her mother answered, smiling warmly. “Because chances are that your heart will lead you in a better direction than that incredibly smart brain you have.” Buffy smiled and nodded, looking at the Berkeley envelope that was now in her hand. “You know how I feel about you staying in-state, but if you want to go even farther away for school, I’ll support you.” She stood up and walked closer to the bed to kiss the top of Buffy’s head. “But I agree with him when he said that you shouldn’t choose a school based on him. I don’t think I need to tell you what can go wrong with high-school relationships when they move on to college, do I?” Buffy shook her head, frowning. “Well, I’ll be downstairs, if you need me.”
“Thanks, Mom,” she said, and Joyce walked to the door before turning around.
“Do you really love him?” Joyce asked, and Buffy smiled, nodding. “Then be sure you listen to your heart on this one, dear- love might be able to send you in the right direction.” Joyce winked before walking away, leaving Buffy to sit in silence, staring at the envelopes scattered around her.
She picked up the one for Wellesley and put a letter inside, sealing it and smiling as she set it aside before doing the same for every other college, including the envelope for Berkeley.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Thank you to everyone who has reviewed! Everyone's opinions and sweet comments are very much appreciated, and I hope that you will continue to enjoy the story! The final chapter will be posted tomorrow, so be ready for that!:)