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Author's Chapter Notes:
it's my new story! hope you all like! Updates might be a little slow to begin with but they'll pick up.
A/N: The title comes from the song ‘How Soon is Now?’ by 'The Smiths'. This is an all-human, high-school fic. Also, it deals with a relationship between two teens whose parents are dating and living together.
Chapter 1: Welcome

Tiny.

That was the first word that flitted through Buffy Summers’s mind as she watched the scenery out the car window. She was catching her first glimpse of Sunnydale, her future home.

“So,” her mother, Joyce Summers, spoke as her voice broke through the silence, “what do you think?”

Buffy’s gaze never left the window. “It’s nice,” she answered noncommittally.

Joyce sighed, completely at lost at how to break through her daughter’s distance.

Ever since her and Hank’s divorce, Buffy had detached herself from both parents. When Joyce had announced she was moving to the small town of Sunnydale a few hours south of LA, Buffy chose to remain with her father. That choice had hurt Joyce deeply, but, in respect for her daughter’s wishes, she never vocalized her pain.

Then a month ago, Joyce received a call from her ex-husband saying Buffy had become unstable and he wanted her out of LA. Her destructive behavior had thrown Hank and he had no idea of what to do with his delinquent daughter.

Joyce went to pick Buffy up from the bus station and expected to see her bubbly, if angry, daughter with long blonde hair and clothed in the latest fashions. But when Buffy stepped off the bus, Joyce was astonished at the drastic difference.

Gone was the long hair. Instead it was messily cut short and with fading streaks of red and black. Her clothes were darker as well as her makeup. Buffy was clearly a different girl and Joyce had no idea how to relate to her, talk to her, and for the most part, Buffy was resisting any small talk Joyce attempted.

“Over there is the high school. We’ll get you registered tomorrow and hopefully by Monday you can start,” Joyce explained, trying to sound cheerful.

Buffy pushed her oversized sunglasses further up and continued to study her surroundings as her mother babbled on about the high school. She watched as the scenery changed from shops to homes and soon Joyce pulled up into the driveway of a modest but homey house.

Buffy grabbed her backpack and hoisted herself out of the Jeep, eyeing the house in front of her. There was another car, older than the Jeep, in the garage that Buffy assumed was her mother’s boyfriend’s car, Randal Giles or something like that.

“Oh,” Joyce said sounding surprised, “Rupert’s home.” She walked around to the trunk and popped it open, pulling out one of Buffy’s many suitcases.

Right, Buffy thought absently, Rupert not Randal. She started up the walkway when Joyce called, “Buffy, come through the garage door, it is open.”

Buffy made her way over to the garage door, waiting patiently for Joyce to it. However, a man opened it instead.

“Hello Joyce,” the older man placed a kiss on Joyce’s cheek and then turned to Buffy.

“You must be Buffy. I’m, erm, Rupert Giles, or Giles as many of the students call me,” Giles introduced himself, holding out his hand.

Buffy hesitantly shook the man’s hand before dropping it. “Cool,” she said flatly. Her gaze swept over the foyer, taking in the decor. It was homey and quaint, nothing like her home in LA.

Giles studied the young woman before him. Her face was expressionless; her motions slow and detached. Most girls her age, Giles surmised, would be outwardly insolent about changing schools and moving away from home but Buffy didn’t seem to care either way.

“Rupert is the high school librarian.” Joyce supplied, “If you need any help, he’d be happy to show you around.”

“Or William will,” Giles added with a genial smile.

Buffy frowned, “William?” She vaguely remembered hearing the name, but couldn’t place it.

“My son,” Giles clarified, frowning slightly. “Didn’t Joyce tell you? He’s a senior at Sunnydale High.”

“Yeah,” Buffy glanced at her mother, “Mom told me, I guess I just forgot.”

“Understandable,” Giles said kindly and motioned out the door, “Shall we get the rest of your luggage?”

Buffy nodded, trying to relax despite the foreign surroundings. Her mother, however, stopped her. “Buffy why don’t you go lay down? You look exhausted. Rupert and I will bring the bags in and we’ll bring them up later. It’s the room on the right at the top of the stairs.”

Surprised at how tired she really was, Buffy nodded in agreement and mumbled a ‘thanks' before trudging up the stairs. She yawned loudly, trying to remember which room was hers. Was it the room on the left or right? Buffy bit her lip and chose the room to her left.

Her eyelids felt heavy and Buffy stumbled onto the bed, not even removing her shoes or snuggling under the covers before drifting off into a deep sleep.

******************

Something was poking her, was Buffy’s first coherent thought.

She frowned and shifted away from the poking-thing, but it kept prodding her. Annoyed, Buffy’s eyes snapped open and met a pair of deep azure eyes staring down at her. She blinked and rubbed her eyes, feeling disoriented. Right, she recalled, she was at her new house in Sunnydale.

Her gaze drifted back up to the eyes staring down at her. They belonged to one of the most interesting faces Buffy had ever seen and the face was decidedly not unattractive.

Until he opened his mouth.

“Do I know you?” Mr. Blue Eyes drawled.

Buffy blinked and sat up slowly, wiping away any sleep-drool from her mouth.
“I’m Buffy. Buffy Summers, Joyce’s daughter and you’re,” she paused, realization dawning on her. “You’re William, Mr.-uh-Giles’s son.”

The icy eyes remained passive. “Spike,” he said shortly.

Buffy looked up at him in confusion, “Huh?”

“Name is Spike and the bed you’re sleeping on is mine. In fact, Sleeping Beauty, the whole room is mine so why don’t you toddle off elsewhere.”

Buffy hated the way he talked to her as if she was an inferior, making her feel small and stupid with his rude comments. She stood up, her chin titled defiantly. “Well Spike, you’re in my way.”

Spike moved aside and mockingly gestured with both hands to the door. With a huff, Buffy stalked out the door, being sure to close the door of her actual room with a hard slam.

Spike stayed rooted in his spot and tilted his head, watching the tiny girl stomp out of his room. Well, he thought with a touch of amusement, that was interesting.





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