Chapter 40: My Not So Awesome Day
Buffy Summers walks up the stairs of Sunnydale and into the large building. She remembers first showing up on the steps of this school, looking around and feeling so out of place. But today she actually feels like she belongs. ‘Ah, the first day of senior year, could this be any better? I’m happy, I’m healthy, and I’m finally on the top of the totem pole. Freshmen will bow down at my feet, and the sophomores will get my lunch for me. This year is going to be so cool.’
“Did you get dressed in a closet this morning?” Cordelia asks as she and her sheep walk by. Buffy just rolls her eyes and keeps walking. She learned a long time ago that it’s better to just ignore whatever Cordelia says. “Or did you forget that the jeans and t-shirt look belongs only in trailer parks?” ‘Or things can be exactly like they were last year, and the year before that.’ She starts walking down the hall towards the cafeteria to get her lock number and combination. As she her way down the hallway Xander breaks off from the crowd to walk next to her.
“Seniors rule!” she yells and bumps him with her shoulder. He staggers to the side a little but he doesn’t fall. ‘That would have been so funny,’ she thinks and adjusts the shoulder straps of her back pack. Over the summer she didn’t hang out with Willow and Xander as much as she would have liked. Willow’s parents finally took an interest in their daughter’s life so she spent most of the summer in Europe with them. And Xander spend most of his time hanging out at home at the Bronze getting rejected by girls. “Hey Xander, I’m surprised to see you here on time.”
“Willow stopped by and said if I want any tutoring at all this year I have to get up and be here before the first bell rings. So I’m up, I’m here, and I really want to go back home.” Buffy laughs and gets a big smile on her face when she sees the redhead in question gossiping with some of the AV nerds. ‘Hey, they’re not nerds. They’re Willow’s friends so you better be nice.’ “Hey Wills. Nerds.” See, even Xander thinks they’re nerds. ‘Oh so you’re basing your judgment on what Xander thinks? Yes this is going to be great.’
“Hey Xan, are you guys headed to the cafeteria?” she asks and gives him a little glare for saying ‘nerd’. Because apparently that’s a bad word. The two nod their heads and Willow turns back to her other friends. “I’ll talk to you guys later. I still haven’t gone there yet.” They say their goodbyes and the ginger girl joins her two friends on the journey to the cafeteria. ‘Hey if we had one more person this could be like a weird version of the Wizard of Oz. I could Dorothy, Xander could be the scarecrow, Willow could be the lion, and Faith would be-’
“Toto,” she says as soon as she sees Faith. Willow and Xander both stop walking just to give her some very strange looks. “Oh, did I just say that out loud?” They both nod their heads and Buffy blushes very deeply. She watches Faith and furrows her eyebrows when she sees the brunette shake hands with some guy she’s never seen before. ‘Is he new or something? Don’t tell me he’s a new member of her little group. There are enough guys in it already. I wonder why Faith is the only girl.’
As soon as she gets close to Faith the brunette grabs her by the shoulders and pushes her up against the locker. She kisses her very deeply, and for a few seconds Buffy forgets where they are and kisses her back. Their tongues battle for dominance, and the blonde sticks her thigh in between Faith’s legs. And just when Buffy is getting really into it, Faith pulls back and turns towards the strange guy that Buffy has never seen before.
“Alright dude, pay up,” she says and holds out her hand. Buffy watches with a lot of confusion while the guy shakes his head and pulls his wallet out of his back pocket. Faith sees the look on Buffy’s face and smiles. “Jack here didn’t believe him when I turned him down, and told him I’m a lesbian. So I bet him twenty bucks that I am, and you just helped prove it.” The guy hands her twenty dollars, and doesn’t say anything when he walks away.
“You do realize half of that is mine, right?” Buffy asks and Faith gets a weird look on her face. Buffy laughs a little and rolls her eyes. “Fine, I still owe you for lunch the other day.” Faith pockets the twenty and Buffy reaches out and holds onto her hand. The two are doing a little better then they were two weeks ago. Things are still a little tense between them, but since there’s that first day of school excitement neither of them are going to bring it up.
“We’re off for our locker numbers, wanna come?” Buffy asks and Faith nods her head. The four teenagers start walking towards the cafeteria, although not all of them as comfortably as the others. ‘Ooohhhhhh, we’re off to see the wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz. You’ll find he is a wiz of a wiz if ever a wiz there was! If ever oh ever a wiz there was the Wizard of Oz is one because, because, because, because, because, becaaaausssse,
because of the wonderful things he does. Ooohhhhhh we’re off to see the wizard. The wonderful Wizard of Oooooz!’
“Dude, are you humming the Wizard of Oz song?” Faith asks and gives her girlfriend a sidelong glance. Buffy gets embarrassed, and blushes very deeply, but she shakes her head no anyway. “Awww, look she’s embarrassed.” Willow and Xander look over at her, and Buffy gives Faith a little smack on her shoulder. “Hey, no need to get violent.” She leans over and gives the blonde a little kiss on the cheek. “I gotta run, I’ll catch you later.”
“And where do you have to be right now?” ‘She thinks she can just embarrass me in front of my friends and then take off? I don’t think so.’ Faith gives her a little kiss on the lips, but that slightly irritated look doesn’t go away.
“I have to keep up a tradition, ok?” she gives the blonde another kiss on the lips and leaves without saying another word. ‘Keep up a tradition, what is that supposed to mean?’ She looks over at Willow and Xander and both of them look completely clueless. So the three make their way to the cafeteria, and get in line to receive their locker number and combination to the lock. Everything is nice and normal, which is exactly what Buffy wants right now.
‘I don’t want to think about anything depressing or stressful that doesn’t involve high school. There will be no thoughts of the future going on in this head today. Nosireebob. Just thoughts about homework, how boring the classes are, and if the supply closet is going to be empty during lunch because I’m feeling a little frisky right now and I don’t think it’s going to go away on it’s own.’
“What are you smiling about?” Willow asks with a knowing look in her eyes. ‘There’s no way she can know how I’m feeling right now. No way at all.’ “So, did you and Faith hang out a lot during the summer?” Buffy nods her head and Willow’s smile gets a little bigger. “Did you leave the house at all, or just the bedroom to get food and water?” Buffy and Xander stop walking and look at their friend like she just grew three, heads, turned purple and sprouted a tail.
“Who are you and what have you done with Willow?” Xander asks and Buffy nods her head in agreement. The redhead looks a little stunned by the way the two are acting and she tries to brush off the question. “What did those Europeans done to you?” Willow gives him another strange look and she just smiles. Then she looks over at Buffy and she gets a very goofy grin on her face.
“We have a lot we need to talk about,” she says and gives Buffy this all knowing look. The blonde isn’t too sure what to think of the look so she just nods her head. “We better hurry or we won’t have a locker to put our books in at break.” They agree and start walking towards the cafeteria yet again. ‘So what the hell is up with Willow? What did she do when she as in Europe. And where exactly did she go in Europe?’
After they get their locker numbers and find and drop some of their stuff off at said lockers they have just enough time left to make it to their first class without being late. ‘I can’t believe my schedule this year. I have Geometry, English III, World History, Chemistry, P.E. and I am now a future business leader of America. Why do we even need elective credits? Those are so stupid. It’s bad enough I have to sit here and listen to Ms. Baker go on and on about how to find the missing side of a triangle.’
The little blonde toughs it out though, and makes it through her first three classes. She just now realized that she doesn’t have a seventh period like most of the students of this school, which means she gets to go home early. ‘I love being a senior!’ She goes out to the quad and sits down at a table. She looks around but she doesn’t see Faith, Willow or Xander anywhere. ‘That’s weird, I wonder where they are?’ She turns around in her seat when she hears a commotion going on, on the other side of the quad.
‘What the hell is Faith doing?’ she asks herself, and watches as Faith and her four friends pick up some weak looking kid and put him in a very full trashcan. ‘No way, she just threw that freshman in the garbage? And here I was going to have sex with her in the janitor’s closet like one of the slutty cheerleaders.’ Buffy gets up and marches across the quad and stands directly in front of her laughing girlfriend.
“What’s up, B?” the brunette asks and leans in for a kiss. But the blonde moves away and out of Faith’s reach. She looks a little confused, until she actually takes a second to really look at Buffy’s face and she tries so hard not to roll her eyes. ‘Oh boy, here we go. This should be good,’ she thinks and waits.
“You’re a jerk that’s what’s up,” she says and moves passed the brunette and the laughing boys. “I’m so sorry. Here let me help you.” She grabs onto the kid’s hand and tries to pull him out but his ass it too far down the aluminum can, and he’s too heavy and before anyone can stop it he goes tumbling over. He hits his head on the ground but not very hard. Trash goes everywhere, and everyone in the quad, except Buffy and the injured boy, start laughing. “Would you help me out here?”
“Why?” Faith asks and leans against the stone wall. “He’s just some stupid freshman. He needs to be hazed if he wants to go here.” Buffy stands up straight and gives Faith a weird look. It’s a cross between anger, confusion, sadness, and more anger. Faith does roll her eyes this time, and lets out a big sigh too. “What’s that look for?” There’s a moment’s pause before Buffy speaks, and when she does everyone feels the sting.
“I was just wondering how I fell in love with a total jerk.” Buffy helps the kid to his feet, and she tells him how to get to the nurse’s office. She tries to walk back over to her table after that but Faith stops her by lightly grabbing her arm. “Don’t touch me. I don’t want to hear any of your excuses. What you did was mean, and humiliating, and I don’t want to even look at you right now.” She stomps back over to her table and is quickly joined by Willow and Xander. Both of them are concerned about the blonde and the way she acted, but she won’t open up and tell them the real reason she got so upset.
‘If all she really wants to do is screw around with her friends like that then how are we going to make this work? She can’t hang out with her friends all the time, and get a job, and be with me at the same time. Is she willing to give up some of her ‘hanging out time’ with the guys so we can be together, or is that too much to ask?’ Even though she told herself this morning she wasn’t going to think about the future, that’s all she can think about as she broods at the picnic table and lets her food get cold.
Chapter 41: My Birthday Party
“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Buffy, happy birthday to you!” the small group of friends and family sings as the very excited blonde sits at the table, and in front of her is a huge stack of presents, and the prettiest birthday cake she’s ever seen. She thinks about her birthday wish very carefully, and then she blows out the eighteen candles on the large white and pink cake. She picked the cake out herself. Her other decided that since this is her eighteenth birthday that she could have a little more involvement in the planning of the party.
“Ok, do you want presents first, or cake first?” her mother asks and Buffy just gives her a look. “Ok, we’ll do presents. I don’t know why I bother asking. Ever since your second birthday party all you want to do is rip open the presents.” The eldest of the Summers women picks up the cake and takes it back into the kitchen where it won’t be damaged by the impatience of her oldest daughter. Buffy gets a little frown on her face as she looks at the pile of presents in front of her. Normally she wouldn’t hesitate to rip into them since presents are the best part of birthdays.
“She made it sound like I’m selfish. Should we do cake first? Are you guys hungry?” she asks and looks around at the group of people. There’s the usual three that she hangs out with: Willow, Xander, and of course Faith. Then there’s Dawn and Janice. Buffy decided to be nice and let Dawn invite a friend so she wouldn’t be totally bored out of her mind. She can’t really tell if having Janice there is making that big of a difference on Dawn’s mood or not. She’s been excited all day about the gift she got for her sister and that’s all she can really focus on at the moment.
“Presents first,” Dawn says and gets very excited. “I want you to see what I got you.” That’s all the incentive Buffy needs before she grabs the nearest one and rips it open. “Buffy, don’t be a total savage. Read the card first.” Buffy opens up the pink envelope and reads what her dad has to say. It isn’t much really, just an ‘I love you, I miss you and I wish you were here’, but Buffy knows he doesn’t really mean it. Hank Summers couldn’t even go two whole years without breaking the custody agreement. Two weeks before the summer vacation started he called saying that he had to go to the east coast for a ‘business trip’ and he wasn’t sure when he’d be back.
She tears open the pink wrapping paper and sees a plain white box. ‘Ooooh, must be clothes. Sweet. I hope it’s that new sweater I’ve been eyeing at Bloomies. Then again it’s probably not since Dad has almost no sense in fashion.’ She opens the box, rips off the tissue paper and gasps at what she sees. ‘This sure beats the damn sweater.’ Inside is a cream colored leather jacket that not only looks expensive, but it smells expensive too. She reaches in and gently runs the tips of her fingers along the cool leather.
Everyone lets out the appropriate ooooh’s and awe’s as she takes the jacket out of the box and holds it up for them to see. She stands up and slips it on, and it fits just right. She feels the inside of it and isn’t the least bit surprised that it’s real silk. ‘I’m definitely going to call him and thank him for this. I can really get used to him trying to buy my love. I wonder if Mom still has the number for his new house,’ she thinks and sits back down. She doesn’t spend too much time admiring her father’s gift.
“Open mine next,” Dawn says and grabs one from the back. It’s wrapped in baby blue paper that has balloons all over it. There’s no card, and Buffy’s a little grateful because cards are unnecessary on birthdays when all the person really wants to do is open up the gifts. Buffy takes her time unwrapping this one, mostly just to drive Dawn crazy but part of it is not wanting to completely ruin something her sister did herself. When all of the paper is off and discarded she opens up the brown box and takes off the tissue paper and what she sees inside makes her tear up a little.
“It’s for when you go to college. This way your dorm mate can see what all of your friends and family looks like,” the preteen says and gets a big grin on her face. It’s a very nice collage of eight pictures inside a nice black wooden frame. There are two pictures of Buffy and her mother, one picture of Buffy and Dawn. There are four pictures of Willow, Xander and Buffy hanging out at the park, and one picture of Buffy and Faith. ‘For when I go to college, huh? So Dawn thinks I’m going to g to a school that’s far away if my dorm mate isn’t going to meet any of my friends, or girlfriend.’
“Thank you, Dawnie. I love it,” she says and sets it down on the table. She gives her sister a big hug but everyone can tell that she’s a little upset. It’s the middle of January and she and Faith still haven’t talked about what their plans are for the future. Buffy’s tried bringing it up again, but Faith either changes the subject or says that she needs to get home. She’s also been acting really immature when she’s around her friends, even more so then before. Buffy doesn’t really understand why her girlfriend is being like this. ‘Why can’t she just grow up and face the facts?’
She slowly works her way through the rest of the gifts. She squeals with joy when she sees the necklace Willow and Xander bought her. It’s a black hills gold locket, with a little rose on the front. Instead of buying two separate cheap gifts they decided to go halfsies on the locket. She her eyes take on a predatory look as she eyes the biggest box at the table. She rips through the gold wrapping paper and is shocked to see that it’s a new laptop computer. She’s been beginner her mom for one for months now, and she finally has one of her own.
“Thank you so much,” she says and gives her mother a big hug. She looks back at the table and sees that there are no more presents. She tries not to let her sadness and disappointment show on her face as she looks over at Faith. Her curiosity is struck when she sees the little smirk on the brunette’s face. “Did you get me anything?” She tries not to sound too hurt but it’s a little hard. She did go a little all out for Faith’s birthday back in July. Not only did she get her flowers, and a gold locket with both of their pictures in it, she also tried something new in the bedroom that had Faith smiling for three days straight.
“Don’t worry, B, it’s a surprise.” Then the brunette looks over at Joyce and nods her head towards the kitchen. Buffy’s eyebrows furrow and when the two start to walk out of the room she tries to follow. But Faith stops and turns around and smiles at the blonde girl who wouldn’t have last as long as Pandora with that damn box. “You have to stay here. We’ll be right back, ok?” She leaves a little peck to silence any protests and then she leaves the room. Buffy waits a little impatiently for Faith and her mom to get back.
When they do they’re carrying something that’s four feet tall and three feet wide. It’s not wrapped and Buffy knows that she’s looking at the back of a painting because she can see the wire that’s for hanging it up on a wall. Even though she really wants to walk around the front to see what it is, she waits a little impatiently for Faith and her mom to hurt around. When they do Buffy gasps. She was expecting something store bought, or maybe Faith bought it from her mother’s gallery but as soon as she sees it she knows that this is a Faith original.
It’s a painting of a beautiful sunset. There are mountains in the background, and a meadow full of daisies, with a stream running through the middle. Over to the left side of the painting is a large oak tree, and if you look very closely you can see squirrels and birds and some bees collecting pollen from the blossoms. Off the right side is a little cottage, with a large front porch. The porch has a nice wooden bench and sitting on it are two figures that look like Buffy and Faith only older. The brunette has her arm wrapped around the blonde’s shoulder as they look off into the sunset with little smiles on their faces.
“Oh my God, Faith,” Buffy says with a little bit of a tremor in her voice. “It’s beautiful, I love it.” She wraps her arms around her girlfriend and kisses her. At first it’s just the soft touching of lips, but the incredible sensations makes the blonde forget about all the other people in the room. She rubs the tip of her tongue along Faith’s bottom lip and the brunette doesn’t hesitate before she opens her mouth and softly rubs her tongue against Buffy’s. This goes on for a few minutes until they’re so rudely interrupted.
“Ok girls, are you going to stop or do I need to hose you down?” they hear Joyce ask, but that was definitely the wrong thing to say in front of a now turned on teenage boy.
“I vote hose them down,” he says and raises his hand. He doesn’t remember that he’s in a room with no one else but girls until every single one is staring at him with little hurt looks on their faces. “Kidding. I was kidding.” He looks around for any type of distraction and then he notices the clock on the wall, and lets out a big yawn. “Well, we hate to not eat cake and run, but it’s getting late. I have a job interview at eight so if I get to sleep within the next hour I’ll only be an hour late.” Willow decides to go with him since she doesn’t want to talk home alone.
“Well thank you guys for coming. And thank you for the locket. I love it.” She gives both of them a big-best-friend-hug, and even gives Xander a little kiss on the cheek. She doesn’t bring any attention to the fact that when she hugged Xander she could feel his hardness lightly press against her. ‘Poor Xander. We really should stop kissing in front of him like that. And I don’t think me moaning like a porn star really helps.’ She watches them walk down the walkway and onto the sidewalk, and when they’re out of sight she shuts the door and goes into the living room.
“Ok birthday girl, why don’t you come pick what piece you want,” Faith says and holds up the large knife. ‘Hmm, Faith holding a big knife, I can’t decide between scary or sexy.’ She walks into the living room and gives Faith a little peck on the lips and sits down next to her on the couch. She carefully takes the knife from Faith and cuts off a corner of the cake. Then she cuts some for everyone else. She watches as her family, her girlfriend, and her sister’s friend talk and joke around and just have a good time. But of course being Buffy she can’t just let herself be happy.
‘No, because that would be too easy,’ she thinks and takes a little bit of the chocolate cake. ‘How many more birthdays am I going to have that are like this? With Faith being a sweetheart and Dawnie actually wanting to be here. Going away to college is going to change all of that and I don’t think that’s a change I want to happen.’ When she finishes her cake she sets the paper plate down on the coffee table and rests her head on Faith’s shoulder. She smiles to herself a little and gives Faith a little kiss on the cheek.
“Getting tired, B?” Faith asks and Buffy nods her head. This is a very special birthday because Faith is actually spending the night tonight. They get to sleep in the same bed and everything. She had to promise her mother that they wouldn’t do anything other then sleep, at the most they would talk, and Joyce finally agreed. Janice is spending the night as well, and Joyce is hoping with an extra set of young ears in the house then Buffy won’t give in to the temptation to do something naughty.
“Thank you guys,” Buffy says as she stands up and lets go of Faith’s hand. ‘I’m sure we can have a little bit of fun without making too much noise.’ “Tonight was great. Best birthday ever. Thank you. But it’s getting late so we’re going to go on upstairs.” She gives her mom a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. Joyce gives her a skeptical look and Buffy tries not to roll her eyes. “Mom I promise we’re not going to do anything tonight. We’re going to lie down, and maybe talk before we go to sleep. That’s it.”
“Ok dear, if you say so,” she says and gives her daughter a kiss on the forehead. She looks over at Faith and the brunette looks a little uncomfortable. “Goodnight Faith, and remember my room is just right down the hall.” The brunette nods her head, and says goodnight. Then she retreats to the safety of being next to Buffy. The blonde gives her mom a ‘don’t be so mean’ type of look and the two head upstairs. ‘I said we wouldn’t do anything tonight. I never, ever said we wouldn’t do anything in the morning.’
Fifteen minutes later the two teenagers are in their sleepwear, teeth brushed hair combed out and they’re lying under the covers, snuggled up to each other. Buffy head is resting on Faith’s shoulder and the blonde has her arm wrapped around Faith’s stomach, and her leg thrown over Faith’s thighs. She loves the feeling of being pressed up against Faith, there’s no denying it and she doesn’t even want to try. She lets out a small, very happy sigh and gives Faith’s shoulder a little kiss.
“I could get used to this,” she says and starts to drawn invisible patterns on the brunette’s stomach. She feels the muscles jump and quiver and she smiles a little. “Don’t you think it would be nice to fall asleep like this every night?” She isn’t really expecting an answer because she knows that Faith knows what she’s up to. And whenever they get on this subject things usually get very sour.
“It’s pretty nice. I like the getting sweaty part, and then fall asleep together better though,” the brunette says and reaches down to give Buffy’s ass a little squeeze. Buffy jumps a little and gives Faith a small smack on the shoulder. “Alright, find I’ll behave. ‘Sides, your mom scares me and I don’t want to know what’ll happen if she catches us doing something naughty.” Buffy laughs a little bit and gives the brunette a little peck on the lips.
“We could do this every night, you know. If we really wanted to,” Buffy says and turns a little more serious like she was before. “Instead of going to school we can get some jobs and get an apartment together. Maybe even adopt a baby when we’re much older and way more mature and financially fit.” Faith lets out a heavy sigh and Buffy knows that she needs to back off or they’ll get in a fight. “We don’t have to talk about this now. I was just fantasizing. We have to go to college right? Because that’s what you’re supposed to do after high school.” Faith doesn’t respond and the blonde knows she isn’t going to get anything accomplished. “Goodnight, I love you.”
“I love you too,” Faith says and gives her a little kiss on top of the head. ‘You say it, but do you really mean it? Are just saying it to keep me happy so I won’t leave, or are you saying it because that’s how you feel? Why won’t you talk with me about the college stuff? We need to get it out of the way. Graduation is on June 2nd, that’s only five months away.’ She lets out a little sigh and snuggles deeper into Faith. ‘Are we ever going to be normal again, or is this tension permanent?’
Chapter 42: My High School Graduation
Today is the big day. Excitement and anticipation are both in the air and everyone is feeling it. Today is the day that Sunnydale High gradates another class of promising young adults. That’s right it’s the end of the senior year. Final report cards are in the mail, most of the kids have heard back from the colleges they applied to, and everyone can’t wait to get out of Sunnydale for the summer.
Things are especially crazy over at the Summers residence. Buffy’s mom is busy running around looking for all of the disposable cameras she bought in preparation for the big day. Dawn is excited talking about how great it’s going to be to have Buffy out of the house. The two are chatting away without a care in the world, while the graduate sits outside, on the bench in the backyard already dressed in her cap and gown.
‘God, I love her lips, and her tongue. That’s a good feature too,’ Buffy thinks and kisses Faith a little deeper. The brunette showed up fifteen minutes ago because Buffy called saying she had some big news. But so far all they’ve done is kiss. As soon as Faith sat down next to her Buffy leaned over and kissed her so deeply Faith thought she was being consumed. Not that it’s a problem with her.
“Ok…” Buffy says in between kisses. “I have some…” She kisses Faith again and the space between words is a lot longer. “Big news to tell you…..” The brunette isn’t listening to her. Sure she heard what she said, but she isn’t going to stop. Kissing Buffy feels too good, and she has a feeling that Buffy’s news isn’t going to be good for her.
“Faith stop,” she says sounding a little breathless. She pulls away from Faith and scoots over so her lips are out of kissing range. “This is big and I want to tell you before I tell anyone else.” She gets an anxious smile on her face and reaches behind her. Hidden behind the large gown of polyester is a large white envelope. Buffy pulls it out and hands it to Faith. “Open it.” It’s already been opened, Faith can tell. And from how worn out the little flap looks she’d guess it’s been opened a lot.
She does as Buffy asks and opens up the large envelope. The first piece of paper that she pulls out is a letter. From the looks of it it’s been handled a lot. Folded many different times, and Faith is speechless. All she can do is read what the letter says. ‘Dear Ms. Summer, Congratulations on your admission to Northwestern University! Announcing the good news to a candidate is the absolute best part of my job, and it gives me a great pleasure to send you this letter.’ She doesn’t bother reading the rest. She puts it back and looks at Buffy with an awestruck look on her face.
“You got in?” she asks and Buffy nods her head. “Oh my God.” Buff isn’t sure if Faith sounds happy or a little disappointed. “I’m so proud of you.” And before Buffy knows what’s happening Faith leans forward and kisses her. Their tongues instantly come out to play and Buffy moans deeply into Faith’s mouth. ‘She didn’t ask me if I’m going or not. So does she think I’m going, or does she think I’m going to stay here with her?’ Buffy ends the kiss and leans her forehead against the brunette’s.
“Baby, there’s something we need to talk about,” she says and she looks a little nervous. Faith doesn’t look too happy about. “It’s just we really-”
“Buffy! Faith! Come on it’s time to go!” they hear Joyce yell from the back door. Both girls get up and walk towards the house. Buffy makes sure to hide the large white envelope so her mother won’t see it. She’s going to announce the news tonight at the dinner celebration Joyce is throwing for Buffy. Faith can’t be there because Judy and Bill are taking her out for her own celebratory dinner, which is why Buffy wanted to tell her first. When Buffy walks through the kitchen she hides the envelope in a drawer and they all hop in Joyce’s car and make their way to Sunnydale High.
Buffy is amazed at how many students there are wearing the maroon polyester. She had no idea there were this many people in her class. ‘Oh well, I guess it doesn’t really matter,’ she thinks and looks over at her two friends and girlfriend. ‘Because these three are the only ones who really matter to me.’ She squeezes Faith’s hand a little and smiles when the brunette squeezes back. Half of the students are shoved in this tiny classroom, waiting to be called out so they can walk down the isle and take their seats. Buffy can’t wait, she’s so damn excited.
“May we have the students out here,” Principal Snyder says into the microphone. Buffy frowns a little because she has to let go of Faith’s hand. She gives her one last little smile before she goes back to her spot in line. She walks with the rest of the students out of the room, up the stairs and then down the center of the two groups of chairs. She takes her spot and watches as Faith walks passed her to take her seat more towards the front.
Everybody sits through the boring speech that the mayor gives, and Buffy has to force herself not to fall asleep. All she can really do is look towards the front, at the back of Faith’s head as she thinks about all of things that have been bothering her since she had that little chat with her mother back in April. ‘What do we do now? I got into Northwestern University, that’s huge. And it’s a great opportunity for me to really be something. But does that mean I have to break up with Faith?’
‘Just because we’ll be living in two different parts of the country it doesn’t mean we can’t see each other. We can talk on the phone all the time, and writer letters, and send pictures. Especially naughty nude ones. But can we last as a couple? If I leave and she stays here does that mean we’re doomed? Lon distance relationships never work. At least that’s what the episode of yesterday’s Maury was.’
“Larry Andrew Blaisdell,” she hears Principal Snyder say into the microphone. ‘Crap I need to pay attention or the people to my left are going to be mad,’ she thinks and watches as all of the people from the first row are up there getting their diplomas. Some of them are giving shout outs to their friends and family, but not a lot of them are saying anything. Buffy watches with a little anticipation until Faith’s row is finally up there. She watches her girlfriend of two years waiting in line and looking a little bored. ‘Leave it up to Faith to be bored at her high school graduation.’
“Faith Isabelle Lehane.” ‘I didn’t know her middle name was Isabelle. Oh my God I’m going to give her so much shit about this,’ she thinks and smiles with so much pride as she watches Faith walk across the stage, shake the hand of the principal, get handed her diploma, and shake the hand of the mayor. ‘Aw, she isn’t going to give a speech?’ But then Faith stops walking and turns back to the crowd and she looks into Buffy’s eyes and she smiles. ‘Oh, I guess she is.’ Faith taps the microphone a couple times and gives a very nervous laugh.
“I’m no good at these things so just be patient,” she says and Buffy can tell just by that tiny little almost nonexistent tremor in her voice that Faith is very nervous. “First I’d like to think my foster parents for giving me a safe place to live, and raising me up right. I don’t know where I’d be if it weren’t for you.” Buffy hears some heckler in the crowd yell out ‘prison!’ and she instantly wants to know who it is so she can hurt him. But Faith just shrugs the comment off.
“You’re probably right. Who I really want to dedicate this diploma to is my beautiful, smart, funny, larger then life girlfriend. She’s put up with me for the last two years and I just want to say ‘Buffy, I love you’.” Buffy has tears running down her cheeks as she looks so deeply into Faith’s brown eyes. Faith then leaves the stage and the next person is called but Buffy isn’t paying attention anymore. She’s too busy staring at the back of Faith’s head as she thinks about how soon she can get her girlfriend alone.
The rest of the ceremony flies for the blonde. She tired to make a speech but she was too overwhelmed that all she got out where a few vowel sounds then she had to keep walking. But now the ceremony is over. Everyone is getting ready to go out to dinner, or go home, or to the big party at Cordelia’s house. But right now Buffy is pressed up against a wall, her arms are wrapped around Faith’s back, and they’re in a very heated make out session. ‘I want her to come with me,’ she thinks and sucks on Faith’s tongue. ‘I don’t want to be away from her for a second.’
“Ok girls,” they hear someone say from behind them. Faith pulls back and Buffy looks over her shoulder. ‘Great, they sent him,’ she thinks and pushes Faith away. They’ve been caught making out my Bill before and it didn’t end too well. He’s very intimidating when he wants to be. He doesn’t scare Faith at all because she has that bulldog mentally just like him, but Buffy is more like a cowardly Labrador. ‘Make love, not war that’s my philosophy.’ “Faith come on, we gotta go.” Then he walks off.
“I love you,” Faith says and kisses Buffy again. Buffy says it back and hugs her tightly. “I’ll sneak into your room tonight, ok?” Buffy smiles very widely and gives Faith a little kiss on the lips.
“Ah, Faith, you’re forgetting the new rule. I am eighteen now, and you my underage girlfriend can keep me out as late as you want and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.” Buffy kisses her one last time before she gently pushes Faith back and walks over to where her mom and Dawn are waiting. “Alright guys, let’s go. What are we waiting around for?” Dawn rolls her eyes and Joyce just smiles.
“Waiting for you to finish sucking face with your girlfriend,” Dawn says. She isn’t mean out it, she doesn’t sound mad. That was said very matter of factly. Buffy just rolls her eyes and they get into the car and buckle up.
“One day little sister, you are going to be too busy sucking face with someone to remember what you’re supposed to be doing.” Dawn just rolls her eyes but she has this look on her face that Buffy can’t quite place. ‘When did my little sister grow up?’ she thinks and watches Dawn through the mirror. ‘She’s twelve years old already. Soon she won’t want to do anything but hang out with her friends and boyfriend. She’s going to be like me. I don’t want her to be exactly like me.’
Buffy watches the scenery go by as they drive towards the restaurant. Apparently a bunch of her family from out of town is here for the dinner. They weren’t able to go to the graduation because they couldn’t make it on time and all of the other seats were already sold for the other kids who have larger families. But Buffy doesn’t mind too much. She just wishes her dad had been there to see her graduate. He may be a deadbeat, but she wants him to be at all of the really important stuff.
‘Let’s see the important stuff: high school graduation, college graduation if I decide to go, my wedding, and when my children are born. Yep, just those things and he couldn’t even be at this one.’ It’s not like she didn’t try to reach out. She sent him an invitation, and she left fifteen messages on his answering machine reminding him of the date, the time, and she gave him directions. But alas it was just another disappointment.
She sighs when Joyce pulls into the parking lot of the restaurant. She unbuckles her seat belt and the three Summers’ women get out of the car. They walk in through the front doors and are a little surprised to see that all of their family members are already here. She hugs them and says hello and thanks them for coming. All of them fuss over her like she’s a princess or something. ‘Ok, I can do this,’ she thinks when everyone is seated around the table. She picks up her glass of water and gently taps it with her fork.
“Everyone, if you could quiet down, please,” she says and stands up from her seat. Everyone looks over at her and she feels like a deer caught in some headlights. ‘This would be so much easier if Faith were here to give me some of that strength she always has.’ She clears her throat and takes a look around at all the different people. “I just wanted to announce that last week I got something in the mail, and I wanted it to be a surprise.” She looks at her mother as she says this. “I got into Northwestern.” Everyone freezes and at first Buffy isn’t sure what to think. But then everyone starts clapping and congratulating her and even though she’s happy she would be so much happier if Faith were here too.
