Buffy continued her descent down the stairs and back into the living room where William had taken a seat on the couch.
Buffy sat down at the other end, and the two sat in an awkward silence, both wondering why it was so hard to think of things to say. Finally, Buffy decided to speak.
“So…nice choice of music. I haven’t listened to that one in quite some time.”
“Why not, Buffy? That album has some great songs on it. It has their classic “All you need is love”, “Hey Jude”, and “Yesterday”…oh…”
Buffy took a deep breath and sighed, “Yeah…oh.”
The conversation was dropped, and Buffy was just about to make small talk about his job and where he was now when William said, “Buffy, I… I don’t want this to be uncomfortable. ‘m sorry. I shouldn’t have come by here. Guess I didn’t realize it would be like this.”
For a few minutes, Buffy was speechless. ‘Well, at least it’s not awkward to just me,’ she thought.
William was looking at her expectantly, and finally she broke out of her shock and said, “Will, I don’t want this to be uncomfortable either. I’d like for you to stay, but if you don’t feel that you can, then I understand. Maybe if we both made an effort to not bring up things from years ago…maybe it won’t be so bad?”
William nodded in agreement, and they both fell back into silence.
“So,” William began, “how’s your job? I heard from Da’ that you’re working your mum’s gallery now.”
Buffy was about to answer, but at that moment, “Yesterday” filled the room, and she found that she was unable to form words. She knew that William’s mind was exactly where hers was…all those years ago…
William had tried to keep an eye out for his report card in the mail during Christmas break. He knew he hadn’t done well in the classes that he hadn’t been able to study for the final exams. After the first week, he gave up on looking for it, but the second week, only 3 days after Christmas, he heard his father yell for him.
“WILLIAM!! GET DOWN HERE NOW!!!!!”
William cringed at the tone of his father’s voice. It was a rare occasion that Rupert Ellingson ever talked harshly to him, much less yelled.
He walked slowly out of his room towards the living room where his father’s voice had come from.
“Yes, Da’?” William said quietly, dreading what was coming.
Giles held up a piece of paper in one hand, “Perhaps you would like to explain to me why you got a C in English when all I’ve ever seen you bring home have been A’s? Or maybe you’d like to tell me why you have an F in Chemistry and History? William, I am absolutely appalled by these grades.”
William frantically reached for any excuse he could find other than the ordeal with Buffy that had caused him to not be able to properly study for those classes.
Finally, he came up with, “I didn’t study for those finals.”
Giles let out a short laugh, empty of any humor, “Well, that much is obvious, Son. Would you like to tell me why?”
“It..they…it was too easy. I thought I had them nailed, and that studying would be a waste of time.”
“So…you’re telling me that you did so horrible in these classes because they were too easy??” Giles asked, disbelievingly.
It sounded good, so William went with it, “Yeah…yeah, that’s it exactly. I get bored in those classes because the material is too easy for me to worry about.”
“Hmmm, then perhaps it’s time we find another school that can challenge you properly.”
“What?!?! No!!! I really like Sunnydale High, Da’. I’ve made some really good friends there, and I don’t want to leave ‘em.”
“Son, the most important thing to me is your education. If you’re not receiving the proper teaching that you need there, then as much as I would hate for you to leave your friends, I need to look into other schools that are more challenging for someone of your intellect. I know of a private boys’ school a few hours north of here. I’ll call up there tomorrow and see if we can enroll you for next year.”
William tried to reason with his father, but Giles was too determined in transferring his son to the other school. All William could do was wonder how he could possibly change his father’s mind and if he couldn’t, what he and Buffy were going to do.
Another week and Christmas holidays were over. Giles had informed William the day before that he had spoken with the headmaster at the private school, and they were more than willing to add him to their enrollment for the next fall. William’s heart was heavy as he made his way to school that day. He was early, as usual, and he went to sit outside by the tree where he and Buffy had previously had many of their talks.
He sat down on the cold ground, uncaring that there were tables nearby. He had grabbed his CD player and a Beatles CD as he was walking out the door. Music always helped to cheer him up, and the fact that they were from his homeland gave him a sense of peace as he sat and listened.
Tears formed in the corners of his eyes as he set the CD to repeat the song “Yesterday”. Before he could blink them away, he felt a warm hand on his cheek. He looked up, and as he did, a few tears spilled down his cheeks. Buffy was there kneeling in front of him, a very concerned look on her face.
William hit ‘pause’ on the CD player, and he removed the headphones from his ears. He took Buffy’s hand from his cheek and gently kissed her palm. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Buffy quietly asked, “William, what happened?”
William took a deep breath and blinked back the rest of the tears that had been threatening to fall.
“My da’ is sending me to a private school next year, “ William answered just as quietly.
Buffy was in shock and the only thing she managed to gasp out was, “Why?!?!”
William was unable to meet her eyes as he said, “When we were having problems during finals, I didn’t study for a few of my exams. I got bad marks in a few classes, and when Da’ questioned me, I lied and told him it was because the work was too easy and I got bored in those classes. He suggested that if Sunnydale High was too easy, maybe he should transfer me to a school that would challenge me. I tried to tell him that I like it here, that I’m happy, but I couldn’t come out and tell him the truth about you and what had happened. He told me yesterday that I was enrolled starting next fall.”
Buffy began to cry, and still without looking at her, William reached up and wiped the tears from her face.
“Right now,” William continued, reaching out to touch his CD player, “this here is the only thing that gives me hope.”
“I…I don’t understand, “ Buffy managed to get out between sobs.
William put the headphones on her and said, “Listen.”
The song began, and Buffy listened to the heartbreaking melody and words.
“Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away
Now it looks as though they’re here to stay
Oh, I believe in yesterday
Suddenly, I’m not half the man I used to be
There’s a shadow hanging over me
Oh, yesterday came suddenly
Why she had to go, I don’t know, she wouldn’t say
I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday
Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play
Now I need a place to hide away
Oh, I believe in yesterday
Why she had to go, I don’t know, she wouldn’t say
I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday
Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play
Now I need a place to hide away
Oh, I believe in yesterday”
She took off the headphones and was about to ask how in the world that could possibly be encouraging, but William beat her to the punch.
“Yeah, I know, it’s a pretty depressing song, but the reason it gives me hope is…well, it’s true. I believe in yesterday…I believe in us and what we have, luv. I’m not going to ask you to wait for me. I don’t want you to have a miserable senior year, Buffy.”
Buffy was still in tears as she asked, “How can you say that you believe in us if you’re telling me to move on?”
William gave up on fighting the tears, and they fell silently down his face as he said quietly, “We’ll find other people, luv. We’ll both date other people, but in the end, we’ll find each other. And then we’ll both know that we really were meant to be. I love you, Buffy. I love you so much. I will never love anyone else like I love you. What I’m saying is yes, date other guys, luv. When I am finally able to hold you in my arms for everyone to see, I don’t want there to be any doubts in your mind. Please believe in ‘yesterday” with me, luv. Please.”
William’s voice broke on the last ‘please’, and Buffy was unable to not touch him anymore. She scrambled to sit in his lap, and they clung to each other as hard as they could.
In between tears and sobs, Buffy’s whispered words were barely heard, “I believe, William. I believe.”
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