A/N: I promise that there will only be a couple chapters of the pre-teen years to go, just need to tell the history before we can move on. I’d really love some reviews at this point to let me know what you guys think. Like I said, I promise it will pick up soon. :~)
Disclaimer: See chapter one
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
II
As Buffy and Dawn neared the stationary store, the evil grin was still on Buffy’s face, as she was going over the list of things to get in her mind.
The store usually only supplied decorative papers, pens, and pencils. But once the beginnings of fall came around, they ordered everything a student of all ages would need.
Once they arrived at their destination, Dawn immediately headed down the aisle of backpacks, in search for the one she had previously picked out. Her and her sister had come here when they first moved to Sunnydale, and she had spotted the bag she wanted for school, even though she had almost two months to wait. Now with only three weeks left, she was finally getting that one that she wanted.
With Dawn gone, Buffy was able to concentrate on what she would actually spend the money on. It was a constant battle of tug-o-war in her head.
‘Should I spend the money on what I want or……..spend the money for what it was given to me for and make mom trust me more? Decisions decision’s’
Then Buffy spotted a dress in the window of the store across the street, looked down to her own purple tank top and blue jeans, then back up at the window display across the street and her mind was made up. ‘Mom would never let me get a dress like that. And I could always tell mom that we got robbed.’ As Buffy thought over this idea she quickly dismissed it in thought of her mother worrying to much and never letting her and Dawn leave her and Giles’ side again. ‘Plus Giles won’t believe me. Need to think up a real excuse.’
Just then, Dawn returned with her multi colored tie-dye backpack. “Do you think we can get the matching lunchbox as well?” Dawn asked with wide, hopeful eyes, filled with such innocence, that all thoughts of lying to her mom and Giles’ with an excuse to get a dress that was way to old for her disappeared as quickly as they got there. ‘Even though she’s a pain, I still can’t say no to her.’
“Yeah, sure kid. Let’s go see what they got.” When Dawn smiled and turned back around to run down another aisle, Buffy rolled her eyes. ‘Can never say no to her. I’m becoming as whipped as mom and Giles’ are.’ Buffy took one final glance across the street at the dress she probably would never own, ‘that is, if mom has anything to say about it, I won’t’
She once again became lost in thought and the sound of the bell above the door, followed by a lady in her late forties, brought her back to the present, and she turned around to go in search of her school crazy sister.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
William followed his mum down the street towards the stationary supply store, dragging his feet the entire time.
“Oh, come one Will,” His mother Anne said. “I don’t see why you are so reluctant about going back to school, your so good at it.”
William continued to follow his mum into the dreaded store while mumbling under his breath, “Just cause I’m good at it, doesn’t mean I like it.”
Anne smiled at her son as she made her way over to the casher whom she knew to talk for a bit while she told William to go ahead and find what he wanted.
Sighing at his unfortunate luck of not being able to talk his mother into home schooling him this year, he headed towards the backpack aisle and quickly found a red power rangers backpack and red lunch pail as well. After he had these things, he headed towards the back of the store to find binders that would hold his homework in them.
The store was fairly empty so he didn’t have to worry over anyone important hearing him argue with himself over the multiple selections the small store offered. Or so he thought.
“Always liked green,” he mumbled to himself, again thinking no one would care, much less hear, him talking. “Although, if I get red it would match my backpack and lunch pail.” Long pause. “But then again, black does go with everything, as does gray and white.”
“Talk to yourself often?” A voice asked from around the corner.
Startled, William jumped a little and gasped.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Do you hear something?” Buffy asked when she thought she heard a faint whisper going on somewhere near where they were standing in the middle of the pens and pencils aisle.
She knew that there where other people in the store besides them, but she found it weird that someone would be whispering that low if they were talking to someone.
“Umm, no?” Dawn replied even though it sounded more like a question, even to her own ears.
“Shh,” Buffy retorted, wanting to know if she actually heard something, or it was her own mind playing tricks on her again.
“Although, if I get red, it would match my backpack and lunch pail.”
“Ok,” Buffy said after a second, “That time I definitely heard someone.” Buffy thought for a second before curiosity got the better of her. “Dawn, wait here until I come back. Pick something, but nothing to expensive, I still have to get my stuff to.”
Buffy waited until Dawn had nodded her head, even though she thought she was acting more like a sounding board if the look on her little sisters face was any indication. ‘Buffy’s tip on how to keep your annoying little sister occupied, put her in an aisle filled with pencils with pretty designs on them.’ Buffy silently thought, as she left the aisle and snuck down the back. She walked two aisle’s over and peeked around the corner. What she saw made her put a hand over her mouth to make her giggles keep from coming out.
There, in the middle of the binder aisle, stood a semi tall boy with dark curly hair, wearing a pair a blue jeans and a white t-shirt, talking to himself over……colored binders?
“But then again, black does go with everything, as does gray and white.”
This time, Buffy couldn’t hold back the laughter that was threatening to over come her. “Talk to yourself often?” She asked the cute boy with a small giggle finally bubbling over the surface.
When the boy jumped back like he’d seen three ghosts from Christmas past, present, and future, Buffy let the full amount of laughter take over her like it had been dying to do since she saw the intriguing boy with a mop of dark hair.
William put a hand over his heart, as if in an attempt to stop it’s heavy pounding against his chest. “Jesus Christ girl, would you like to scare the living daylights out of me?”
Still Buffy didn’t stop laughing.
“Glad you find my, almost heart-attack so bloody entertaining, pet.” William rolled his eyes at the girl, although he stopped to take in her lovely face as it was filled with her laughter, even if it was at his expense.
Buffy giggles finally subsided into a big smile that was, in Williams opinion, so beautiful she stole it from the sun. ‘Don’t even know the girl, and I’m already off acting like a nancy boy.’
William was interrupted from his thoughts as he heard another giggle escaping from the girl.
“What’s so funny now, luv?”
When she pointed a finger at him his face paled and he knew what she was about to say before she even said it. “Your talking to yourself again,” she managed to spit out in between giggles.
She once again settled down, but couldn’t stop the occasional giggle from escaping from between her lips every few seconds from the look on his face.
“I-I,” William stopped and swallowed hard once before continuing, “I actually said that out loud?” When she nodded, he looked up at the ceiling before yelling out to whoever was watching this and was obviously laughing at him, “BLOODY HELL!!!”
“You talk funny,” Buffy commented as she once again fought for control over her body when laughter wanted to surface within her again, “Are you not from around here?”
William looked over at her as if she had just realized the most obvious thing in the world.
“What?” Buffy asked in a whinny voice with a shrug, “Was just wondering is all.” She was barely able to finish her sentence when Williams mother came running towards them from the other end of the aisle, with a worried expression on her face.
“William,” His mother cried out, afraid he might be hurt or in danger, “Are you okay, baby?” Without waiting for a response, Anne took hold of his face and started moving his neck in circles checking for any injuries that might have caused his sudden out burst.
“Moooom!” William exclaimed at the embarrassing treatment his mum was giving to him. “Will you stop? Your embarrassing me!”
When Anne looked at the other end of the aisle she saw two girls standing there. One looked to be about William’s age while the other one looked like she was a younger sister. Both girls where giggling and William was turning beat red.
“Sorry Will,” Anne had the decency to look sheepish as she tried to offer her son an explanation for why she had just caused him great embarrassment in front of girls it looked like he didn’t know. “I heard you yell and I thought you might be in danger or hurt or something.” Anne thought for a moment before asking, “You are okay aren’t you?”
William rolled his eyes, “Yes mum.”
Buffy had a grin on her face, while Dawn, who had yet to learn how embarrassing parents could be in situations like this, laughed. Buffy elbowed her in the stomach lightly, wanting to spare the boy further embarrassment, Dawn immediately quieted down.
Anne smiled at her son and then at the girls before she walked away, now sure that her baby was okay.
“Sorry ‘bout that” William offered the girls a smile, still embarrassed beyond belief. And with his mother leaving him to confront the situation by himself, he also felt incredibly nervous. He didn’t have much experience with talking to girls, any in fact, so he was worried that he would say something stupid, or start talking to himself again. ‘Oh well,’ he thought, ‘can’t get any worse then it already has.’
Dawn, still not seeing how shy the boy was, started laughing again. Buffy, now getting annoyed, asked, “I thought I told you not to leave the aisle until I returned to get you?”
“I’m sorry Buffy, but I just wanted to make sure that you weren’t in danger or hurt,” Dawn said in a mocking voice, making Williams face heat up again.
If Buffy had ever wanted to strangle her sister in her life, it was now. She just couldn’t take into consideration anyone else’s feelings ‘sides her own. And if that ment someone had to suffer to bring her entertainment, then so be it.
“Dawn,” Buffy said though clenched teeth, as she tried to keep her cool around her sister that didn’t really know any better, “Why don’t you go and see if you can find a couple binders that you like, while I go get my stuff, ok?”
Dawn shook her head in agreement as she bounced off towards the front of the aisle they were all currently standing in to find the “kids” section.
Buffy rolled her eyes then smiled towards William who returned it before ducking his head.
Buffy took one final look at her annoying sister, who was now back in the land of “school is awesome!” then grabbed Williams hand and head back to the pencils and pens aisle.
William, never having any contact with a girl, other than his own mother, blushed even harder when he felt the girls small hand slip into his in an effort to pull him along with her.
Once she reached her destination, she dropped his hand and grabbed what she wanted before heading down the next aisle, thinking he would follow her. When he just stood there, looking in the direction she had headed off in, she stopped, turned around, and once again flashed him one of the smiles that he considered heaven sent.
“Are you coming?”
‘Even her voice is beautiful’ he thought, as she sweetly asked him if he would be following her on her shopping journey. He had a feeling that if he decided to not follow her on his own will that he would be drug around till he finally gave in. So instead of fighting the inevitable he walked towards her without answering her question.
“Your quiet.” She commented.
“You always ask obvious questions, pet?” he replied with a small smile appearing on his face, this time, without a blush.
“It wasn’t obvious,” she said with a smile on her own, wanting to tease him without embarrassing him. “It was noticeable.”
“Same thing, luv.” Chuckling at her cuteness.
‘He’s cute when he laughs’ she thought dimly. She thought it was strange that the sound of his laughter made her feel good inside.
“So… is your mom always that embarrassing?”
Once again he chuckled, and once again she wondered why it made her feel warm inside. “That she is, ducks.”
Dawn decided that it was the perfect time to come looking for her big sister, and found her and the cute boy standing in the backpack aisle.
“Buffy,” her sister said, when they both came into her view over the large pile of stuff she was carrying. “I got everything mom told me to get. Are you almost ready to go yet?”
Buffy looked away from where she had been staring at William, over to the back end of the backpack aisle to what she thought was her sister. One couldn’t tell from all the stuff she had piled in her little arms.
Buffy giggled at the sight of Dawn and walked over to her, where she sat all her stuff down on the ground and then helped Dawn to do the same. Once she could see more then just a tiny circle in front of her, Dawn looked over to William and smiled in his direction.
“Sorry bout earlier,” She said with total confidence.
William, who had been standing by the whole time watching the sisters with genuine interest with a grin on his face, simply said that it was ok.
Finally it was Dawn’s turn to blush as she let her long shinny hair fall around her face. Buffy stared at her sister in shock. ‘Wow,’ she thought, ‘Maybe she knows more then I give her credit for.’ Buffy shrugged before returning to the middle of the aisle to pick out the backpack of her choice, a swade purple bag with black shoulder straps.
“Cute choice,” he said with a tiny smile appearing on his lips, ‘Must like the color purple’ he thought looking down at the light purple that covered the upper half of her body.
Buffy raised a brow and then looked in the direction of his own choice in a backpack. William blushed again when he realized what she was looking at and his smile disappeared, but Buffy simply laughed for a second then turned and went back to where they had first met, minutes before. William hung back, every intention of following her, but not before he had exchanged his red power range backpack with a solid green one, the fabric much like her own. He continued to juggle his own school supplies as he headed after the two girls that had his curiosity soaring.
Buffy and William almost collided when he turned into the aisle he knew she would be in. “Where’d you go…… you know, I never got your name. I’m pretty sure that your mom said it and all, and it’s not like I wasn’t listening, not that I was trying to, you know, ease drop or anything, you guys were just there, and she was talking a little loud. I’m pretty sure that’s why Dawn said that she came over from when I told her to stay put and all, cause I was gonna come back and get her after I found out who was talking….”
“William.”
“Huh?” She said when she thought she might have heard someone say something.
“My name, luv, is William.” He said with a smile.
‘Bet this girl could talk on for days without stopping’ he thought to himself. In all honestly when people talked to much, it tended to annoy him to no end. But when she did it, it was almost cute. She had a way with her this…… come to think of it, he didn’t know her name either.
“And what does the world call you, pet?”
For the first time since they’d met, she blushed. “Buffy,” she said quietly.
“What was that, luv?” Surely he couldn’t have heard right….did he?
“Her name is Buffy, and I’m Dawn. Now can we please go?”
Buffy rolled her eyes at her sister, as it appeared that she had lost what little charm she had in her whether quickly. Buffy turned toward her sister so that William wouldn’t have to see the annoyed look on her sister’s face, as she once again fought to control the sudden urge to distribute pain on her sister.
“Yeah, just let me grab a couple binders then we’ll go. Why don’t you go put your stuff on the counter and wait outside and I’ll meet you out there in a little bit?”
“Ok.” Dawn said, her innocence seemingly reacquainted itself with her body.
As she headed off towards the front of the store, Buffy’s eyes looked behind her without turning her head so that he wouldn’t know she was looking at him, and found him staring at the back of her head. Deciding to have a little fun with him again, she took a few steps forward to examine the colored folders.
“Hmm,” She said with a wicked grin on her face. “Always liked green,” she did an imitation of scratching her chin while looking in his direction, the twinkle in her eyes letting him know that she was just playing around with him.
When he saw the look she was giving him it let him know that she was joking and not really making fun of him and he returned her small smile with a small one of his own, even still, he couldn’t help but blush. Although this time it didn’t stop him from replying to her teases.
“Sorry pet,” He said as he walked over to her and picked up three green blinders. “Greens taken.”
She smiled when she noticed that he was catching on and lightning up a little bit. “Well then, maybe black or white,” she turned back to look at the different colors, “Or maybe gray since they do go with everything.”
“Talk to yourself often?” At this point they couldn’t contain the laughter any longer, and almost fell to the floor from laughing so hard.
“You almost ready Will?”
They both stopped their laughter instantly and looked to the end of the aisle where Will’s mum was standing, apparently waiting to check out and leave.
“Umm, yeah sure.” As he started to follow his mum to the checkout stand, he glanced back at Buffy who was pretending to contemplate the different colored binder selections when she was secretly watching him leave.
“Coming Buffy?”
Buffy finally turned her head fully to look at him and noticed he had a smile on his face. Anne, who had been watching the two since the girl’s younger sister left, was also smiling.
Buffy slowly caught on, and smiled in return. “You go ahead, I’ll catch up once I pick out some binders.
William shook his head at the girl, trying to figure out whether or not she was serious or teasing him again, and walked in front of her, grabbed three purple binders that matched her bag, handed them to her, then took her by the arm a pulled her with him and his mother to the checkout stand where Dawn’s stuff was.
Buffy glanced outside the window to check on her sister, and found that she was in deep conversation with one of her friends from the park.
After the trio had made their purchases, they went to walk outside to find that Dawn was once again sitting on the sidewalks edge by herself.
Buffy looked to the right and saw that Christine was walking on the sidewalk with her mother, so they must have just left.
“How ‘bout we go get some ice cream?” Anne asked the trio in front on her.
Buffy looked doubtful for a second. “I don’t know,” Buffy said, the way she was holding her lower lip hostage in her mouth gave away the fact that she was nervous about going somewhere with people she didn’t really know all that well.
“Yeah, can we Buffy? Pleeease,” Dawn whined.
“Come on Buffy. I promise we’re not mass murders or anything like that.” William said as he noticed her hesitation.
“Now Will, It’s her choice. After all she doesn’t really know us all that well and she’s probably thinking of her sister as well.” Anne turned to look at the girl in question. “I respect your responsibility, dear, but Will’s right, you have nothing to be worried about. But I will completely understand if you don’t want to.”
Buffy thought that she sounded sincere, ‘And she does seem really nice, although mom will have my head if she finds out.’ When Buffy looked away from Anne’s face towards her sister’s and saw a pout spread out all over her babyish features. Finally she turned her head again to look towards William. He as well had a small pout covering his face, but with a smile tugging at his lips. ‘Oh well,’ she thought, ‘I can only die once.’
“Ok,” She finally said, a smile finally taking over, both her and William’s face.
“Yay!” Dawn yelled in excitement, jumping up in down clapping her hands in delight.
“Well then,” Anne said, “Let’s get going, treats on me.” She smiled as Dawn started walking down the sidewalk towards the ice cream paler, kicking a stone as she went, her shopping bags in hand. Buffy and William picked up their own bags and then followed after her, with Anne heading up the back end, keeping her eyes on them, smiling as they went.
[Reviews - 26]
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | 
Chapter or Story
Has been viewed 2331 times
- Text Size +
-
Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story |
Chapter or Story | Chapter or Story - Text Size +