Fifteen year old Willow Rosenberg walked up the steps to Sunnydale High, her long, crimson colored hair tied back in braided pigtails. She wore a striped sweater, with highlights of greens, oranges, and yellows, under her overalls. Her feet were clad in generic sneakers, never name-brand. 'The people, if you could call them that, that obsess over what's cool and hip, will have no future ahead of them, just a tremendous stack credit card bills and a drug habit,' Her mother had said, when they went shopping at the mall and Willow had picked up a pair of cute Nikes, but were a little expensive. So Willow, discouraged by her mother, chose a pair of cheap Keds, plain white. Kinda like me, Willow thought to herself as she entered the high school, heading down to her locker, plain, boring Sears-clad Willow.
She sighed, dejected as she twirled the combination to her locker like a robot, she had done it so many times. 6-10-19, was the combination, but it wasn't right-left-right. No, she had to get the only defective combination locker in the entire school. Some delinquent years ago had time on his hands, so he broke the locker, and changed the combination so it would have to be spun left-right-left. Lucky me...Willow sighed, opening the locker as she placed her sack lunch on the top shelf, next to her small, stuffed worm. Xander had given it to her for her sixth birthday. The movie Labyrinth with David Bowie had come out that summer and Willow had instantly fallen in love with the story.
She had spent hours in her backyard, wishing the Goblin King would take her away. Then Xander would swoop in, wearing one of Willow's mother's nicer sheets tied around his neck with a blonde wig on his head that he brought from his mother's house. He would offer her a walnut, since they didn't have crystal balls, they had to make due with what was in the yard. But before Willow could accept, when Sarah could not, Willow's mother would recognize the sheet tied around Xander's neck, rush out, take it off him, and send him home, making the lame excuse that it was getting late.
The bell ringing jolted Willow from her memories, and she gave the worm a squeeze, hearing it's years-old voice squeak out, "'ello!" She smiled, then grabbed the textbooks she needed for her first four classes then slammed the locker, running off to class, holding her Trapper Keeper and her books to her chest, as if a shield from the popular kids wanting to make fun of her.
She made it to her math class in time, sitting in the third seat back in the sixth row. She may have been one of the 'smart kids', but she didn't want to catch the business end of a spitball. Most of the bad kids sat towards the middle, in a group in the back, her friend Jesse being one of them. She snuck in a small wave when he glanced in her direction and he gave her a beaming smile in return. Willow turned back to face the front as the second bell rang, smiling to herself. She may be little, nerdy Willow who brings her lunch to school, and wears clothes from Sears; but she had two great friends that she loved dearly.
At lunch time, she grabbed her sack lunch from her locker, heading down to the cafeteria, finding Xander and Jesse in a far corner, their heads bowed, their shoulders shaking slightly. Willow rolled her emerald green eyes, shaking her head slightly, I wonder what they did now...Willow thought to herself as she sat next to Xander, opening her brown paper bag. She let them snicker for a few minutes, quietly eating her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. As she predicted, Xander couldn't hold it in anymore and turned to Willow, slinging an arm around her shoulder. Willow bit the inside of her cheek, attempting to stop herself from blushing. Xander tore a chunk off her sandwich and tossed it in his mouth, chewing happily. "Mm...quality PB&J, Will. Guess what?" Xander said after swallowing. Willow turned her head to face Xander.
"I'm afraid to guess..." Willow smiled.
"We have some very crucial evidence that Harmony Kendall...stuffs her bra." Xander snickered, which led to Jesse's fit of giggles to start up again.
Willow frowned then raised an eyebrow, then frowned again. "And how would you know, Alexander LaVelle Harris?" Willow asked, using his full name.
Before Xander answered her question, his jovial looks shifted into a pouty frown. "You know I hate than name..." He said, pulling his arm back, releasing her shoulders. He started to play with his Cheetos, then he jumped, turning back to Willow as he remembered what he was talking about. "Oh, yeah! Harmony! She stuffs her bra."
"You said that already..." Willow said, continuing to eat her lunch.
"Wanna know how we know?" Jesse said through his giggles.
"Not really. But you're gonna tell me anyway." Willow sighed, used to their goofy behavior.
"So Jesse found out a window in the courtyard--"
"That students aren't allowed in," Willow interrupted him.
"Yeah, yeah. We broke a rule...oh no..." Jesse scoffed, rolling his eyes, pretending to be afraid.
"Yeah," Xander laughed before he continued, "Jesse found a window in the courtyard that leads to one of the girl's bathrooms. And just as Jesse's about to climb through the window to steal all the toilet paper, Harmony exits one of the stalls, with a handful of toilet paper, herself. So she splits the toilet paper into two even piles, then she shoves them, one at a time, down the front of her shirt, arranges them so they look realistic, grabs her purse and leaves!" Xander laughs.
"I should go over there with a Fruitopia and 'accidentally' spill it on her shirt, to see her 'boobs' soak up the spillage." Jesse crowed.
Willow frowned, shushing the boys, "Be quiet, you guys, people will hear you."
"And get to do it before we do!" Jesse laughed.
Xander joined in on Jesse's laughter, leaving Willow to slouch in her seat, pretending not to know them as they made fools of themselves. Usually, she wouldn't mind, but they were acting extra goofy. They had good reason to. Spring Fever was upon them. There was just two days left of school, then they'd be free for three months, before they had to start their sophomore year.
Willow was shook out of her thoughts by Xander, who told her that the bell had rung. Willow nodded dumbly, and began gathering her trash together. Xander laughed, asking her if she was okay. "I'm fine, just thinking to myself," Willow replied as she stood up.
"Oh, those mind rambles of yours..." Xander chuckled as he threw his trash away and jogged out of the lunch room.
Willow glanced down at her watch as she hurried to the trash can, next to the recycling bin. She felt something solid collide with her and heard a girl mutter a curse word. She looked up from her watch, her eyes slowly widening with horror. "Oh my God, Willow! Look what you did!" Harmony Kendall shrieked, getting the attention of everyone that had yet to leave the lunch room. Willow looked down to see the bright pink liquid of a Strawberry Kiwi Fruitopia dripping off her tray and a large stain of it right in the middle of her crisp, white polo.
"Oh, sorry," Willow muttered.
"Sorry? That's all you can say? How am I supposed to mop this up?"
A burst of courage flooded through her system as she retorted, "Well, it seems like you're already doing a crack job of it, why ruin a good thing?" As Harmony's eyes widened as she realized what Willow meant, Willow slipped past her, threw her trash away, and hurried to her English class, a broad smile on her face.
A few blocks from school, Willow was still floating on the high of her bold move at lunch. She was floating so high, that she couldn't hear Xander hollering for her to wait up. "Will! Willow!" Xander shouted, catching up to her on his skateboard. Willow came crashing to earth at about the same time Xander did, as the front tires of his board hit an uneven place in the sidewalk. Xander flew through the air, twisting his body so he landed on the grass by the sidewalk. As he landed, his breath was knocked out of him with a whoosh. Willow jogged the few feet to catch up to Xander, picking up his skateboard and walking over to him.
"Xander, are you okay?" Willow asked, her brow knitted with concern.
"I would be if you had heard me two minutes ago, shouting your name," Xander replied, sitting up, grimacing as he did.
"Sorry. I was...somewhere else," Willow replied lamely.
"Like, the cafeteria, at lunch time?" Xander asked, his mask of anger slipping away into a devilish smile.
"How did you–?" Willow began.
"You have to remember Will, this is Sunnydale. News travels fast, especially if you're in the same History class as Miss Kendall herself as she bitched to Cordelia about you."
"Xander!" Willow said, scolding him.
"I know, I know. Language. Sorry. But I don't get it, Will. We're fifteen years old. We should be old enough to say some cuss words." Xander pouted.
"You know why. What if you accidentally say one of those words over at my house and my mom hears you. She'd ship you home with a note to your mother, possibly a phone call and a letter about the 'demoralization of American youth' and I wouldn't be able to hang out with you anymore."
"Yeah, and you wouldn't be able to come over for 'A Charlie Brown Christmas'." Xander added, climbing to his feet.
Willow beamed. "And I don't want to miss out on the Snoopy Dance," She said as she handed Xander his skateboard. Xander took it, giving Willow a jovial smile.
"It beats that Dreidel song any day." Xander added.
"Hey..." Willow said, elbowing him in the ribs, causing him to dance away.
"Alright, alright, I take it back." Xander laughed, rubbing at his ribs. "Damn, Will, you've got some sharp elbows..." Xander realized he had cursed, his chocolate brown eyes widening. "Sorry. It slipped." Xander apologized.
"I'll let it go...for now." Willow smiled, nudging his shoulder with hers as they walked down the street.
Two days later, Xander and Jesse whooped loudly as they ran from the school building, their bookbags swinging dangerously from their hands as they swung their arms around. Jesse danced past Cordelia and Harmony, snatching a bobbypin with a butterfly on the end from Cordelia's hair, laughing as she screeched in pain, slapping an open palm to the side of her head. "Damn you, Jesse!" She shouted after him.
"Miss Chase, language!" Principle DeSilva said from the open doorway.
Cordelia looked behind her, towards the doorway, then jogged off towards her mom's waiting convertible, Harmony in tow. Willow walked past Principle DeSilva, giving her a polite smile and nod as she went. "Have a nice summer, Willow. Oh, and have fun next year," Principal DeSilva said to Willow as she walked past. Willow turned to her, smiling.
"I will," Willow said.
Xander stood across the street, shouting Willow's name. Willow turned to wave to him, then turned back to Principal DeSilva. "Bye!" Willow, said, giving her another smile then ran off to join Xander and Jesse. Willow stopped in front of the boys, a wide grin on her face. "Principal DeSilva knew my name," Willow said breathlessly.
"She knows our names too." Jesse said, raising an eyebrow, smirking.
"But I've never gotten in trouble before, like the two of you. And she wanted me to have fun next year!" Willow said excitedly.
"Of the three of us, Will, you'll be the only one that has fun academically." Jesse said.
"Very funny, Jesse. You'd be lucky if you make it through your sophomore year." Willow replied, turning her nose up in the air.
"Ooh...Rosenberg's gotten bold in the last two days." Another male voice said from behind them.
Percy West came strolling up behind them, his bookbag slung over one shoulder, a smirk on his face. He stopped by the trio of friends, looking from Xander to Jesse, then finally to Willow. "Telling off Harmony in front of the whole cafeteria one day, then predicting Jesse McNally's dismal future. What's next? Leather ensembles and high-heeled boots?" Percy smirked. Willow's face paled then her cheeks reddened.
"Lay off, West. I doubt your academic future will be any brighter than Jesse's." Xander snapped, taking a step forward.
"What are you gonna do about it, Harris?" Percy scoffed, taking a step forward as well.
"Xander, stop. Percy, go away." Willow said, taking several steps forward and pointing Percy towards the road that leaves town.
"Ooh...Rosenberg, you're getting closer and closer to that leather ensemble..." Percy smirked, backing away.
Percy turned and jogged back towards the school, catching up with Larry
Blaisdell. Willow turned back to Xander and Jesse, who had matching looks of shock on their face. "What?" Willow asked, turning on her heels and started walking home.
Jesse and Xander wanted to go play Super Nintendo over at Jesse's house, so they went separate ways a few blocks from school. Willow walked home alone, pride welling up in her chest at how bold she had gotten lately. Maybe Spring Fever affects different people differently...Willow thought to herself as she let herself into the house. "Mom! Dad! I'm home!" Willow shouted into the house. She heard no reply, and she frowned, dropping her bookbag onto the couch and walking into the kitchen. There was a hundred dollars on the counter along with a note.
Willow,
Your father and I had to go to New York for a week-long convention. The money on the counter is for any groceries you want or if you want to order pizza. But remember to spend the money wisely. It needs to last the whole week.
Mom & Dad
Willow crumbled up the note, tossing it towards the trash can; it looked like it wasn't going to make it. Willow really didn't want to do the walk of shame over to the trash can so she closed her eyes, muttering, "Please, please, please..." She opened her eyes and stood on tiptoe to find the crumbled up note in the trash can. "Maybe I'm not as bad as I thought I was," Willow said aloud. She sighed, picking up the money and tucking it into her pocket. "Looks like it's another week of talking to myself for company," Willow said, entering the living room to take her bookbag upstairs.
Entering her room, Willow sat down on the bed, emptying out her bookbag, putting her school stuff in her desk to save for the next three months. She placed her Labyrinth worm back on her bookshelf, next to her picture of Xander and her at the park. In the picture, nine year old Xander has his arms around nine year old Willow. Xander gives the camera a toothless grin, being devoid of his two front teeth. Willow smiles as well, not looking at the camera, but at Xander. Willow smiled sadly to herself, "He has no idea." Turning away from the picture, Willow changes into some comfy pajama pants and her Care Bears t-shirt and heads downstairs to watch Labyrinth for the hundredth time.
Friday nights at the Bronze, from 7-9, kids 15 and up were allowed in, to hang out where the high schoolers hang. Towards the middle of August, Xander had called Willow up at six, wondering if she wanted to go with. Willow agreed, saying she'll meet him outside in half an hour, then hung up. Willow showered quickly, blowing her long, straight hair dry afterwards. She dressed in a pair of white tights, a dark green skirt, and a white polo, almost identical to Harmony's, but without the pink stain. The thought of Harmony's face when Willow told her off, brought a smile to her lips. Willow slid on a pair of black Mary Jane's and grabbed ten dollars off her dresser, and headed downstairs to wait for Xander.
They walked to the Bronze, chatting idly about what they planned to do that summer. Entering the Bronze, Willow searched for Jesse while Xander went and got drinks. Willow found Jesse over by Cordelia, following her around like a little puppy dog. Willow snagged Jesse's arm and dragged him over to the table by the dance floor, where Xander said to meet him. They all arrived at about the same time, Xander and Jesse exchanging manly greetings. Willow rolled her eyes and grabbed her coke and took a drink. Up on the stage, a group of about four guys started playing an alternative rock song. Willow bobbed her head to the music as she watched the redheaded guitarist; he looked as if he was in his own little world. While she watched the guitarist, Xander and Jesse headed out to the dance floor, to try and make fools of themselves while trying to pick up girls.
Willow sat by herself for a while, stirring her drink occasionally. Owen Thurman made his way over to Willow sitting in the seat next to her. "Hey, Willow." He said, giving her a shy smile.
"Hi, Owen. What's up?" Willow smiled back.
"Did you hear about Principal DeSilva?" Owen asked, leaning in so Willow could hear him over the music.
Willow shook her head, a concerned look on her face. "No, what happened?"
"She was found at the school...dead." Owen said, his light blue eyes widening as he spoke.
Willow's eyes widened with shock. "What? What happened?" She gasped, leaning in closer to Owen.
"Well, the janitor was working late one night and Principal DeSilva must have been working on getting ready for the new school year, and the janitor heard her scream somewhere in the building. And when he arrived in the basement, that's where she was, her eyes were all glassy and her neck was all torn up. 'Severe trauma to the throat' was what my mom said. She's a nurse at the hospital. She was working there when they brought Miss DeSilva's body in." Owen explained.
"Wow...poor Miss DeSilva," Willow sighed. "Do you know who's gonna be the new principal?"
"No. But my mom was at a PTA meeting last week. I think Vice Principal Flutie is gonna take over for her."
"Oh. That makes sense." Willow nodded.
"Yeah...well, I'll see you later." Owen said, standing up.
"Sure. Bye." Willow waved as Owen gave her a shy smile and wove his way back into the crowd.
Around 8:30, Willow saw Jesse over by Cordelia again, really laying on the skeeziness. Willow rolled her eyes then saw Cordelia gesture at Jesse's outfit, a skater t-shirt and jeans, then laugh loudly. Willow climbed to her feet, walking over to them. "Why don't you leave him alone? Not everybody's parents have six figure jobs and don't pay their taxes." Willow said to Cordelia.
Cordelia turned to Willow, a delicate eyebrow arched, to go with the cold, impassive look on her face. "How would you know if your parents pay their taxes. They're never home, are they Willow? They leave their little note and grocery money and when they do come back, it's to repack for another 'conference'. Get it through your head, Willow; no one wants to be around you. You're less than air," Cordelia replied, her tone icy.
Willow's bottom lip trembled and all that courage that she felt in school drained out of her, about the same time the blood drained from her face. Refusing to cry in front of them, Willow whirled on her heels and walked away, accidentally bumping into a young man. "Sorry..." She mumbled, her hair creating a crimson curtain in front of her face. She exited the Bronze, heading in the opposite direction of home, to a dark corner of the alley. Her back against the rough stone wall, Willow slid to the ground, tears pooling up in her emerald eyes. She buried her face in her hands, sobbing quietly, Cordelia's mean, hateful words bludgeoning her soul into smithereens.
A few minutes later, she heard something rustle nearby. Her head shot up from her hands, tear stains on her cheeks shining in the low light from a lamppost nearby. "W-who's th-there?" Willow stammered out.
"Your knight in shining armor..." A male voice hissed out from the shadows.
Frightened, Willow climbed to her feet, her back pressed against the wall. "Whoever you are, leave me the hell alone. My boyfriend's inside and he's big and takes steroids." Willow lied, her slightly blurry vision trying to find the owner of the voice.
"Well, your 'boyfriend' isn't gonna save you now; steroids and all." The voice said.
It was closer this time. Willow wiped frantically at her eyes right before the owner of the voice pounced, his face horribly disfigured, right around his brow above his nose. Another large body, lean and dark like a panther, stopped the disfigured man, slamming him into the wall. Willow crouched down, slamming her eyes shut, afraid to see what would happen to the man in dark clothing. "Bad dog. No biting!" The panther-man barked out. Willow heard the attacker scream and a small gust of wind. Willow cowered in the corner, shaking slightly. She heard footsteps approach her, and she began to shake more. "You're safe." The voice said, in a smooth baritone. Willow opened her eyes slowly to find herself alone in the alley with the man in dark clothing.
Everything about him was dark, his clothing, his short, spiked hair, his eyes were like two black pools; but his skin was pale, paler than hers. He held his hand out to her; a small half-smile on his face. Willow placed her hand in his, and he helped her to her feet. Up close, the young man looked about twenty-four and gorgeous. He had to be the best looking young man she'd ever seen. As he held her right hand, he brought up his left hand to brush away a stray tear. "What are you doing in a dark alley late at night, anyways?" The young man said. His voice sent tingles rocketing up her spine; and that surprised her, the only other person to do that was Xander.
"I was with friends...and one of them was getting picked on by this...this tramp. So I wanted to help him. But she...she called me less than air." Willow babbled, her chin quivering slightly as the memory came back, and fresh tears sprang from her eyes.
"Hey, hey..." The young man said softly, brushing those tears away when they rolled down her cheeks. "I don't know the young woman who hurt you. I don't know you. But I can tell you're not less than air. You have this...spark, this fire about you. It may be embers now, nearly about to die out, but someone will come along, and the embers will burn brighter until," the young man snapped his fingers, startling Willow, "it becomes an inferno."
Willow started to smile at that, not minding that the young man was still holding her hand. "Thank you..." She said, smiling up at him. He smiled and shook his head.
"It was no problem," He replied.
Willow glanced down at her watch. "Oh God, I better get home," She looked back up at her real knight in shining armor. "Thank you again," She said, starting to release his hand.
He gripped her hand tighter. When her eyes widened with fear, he gave her a reassuring smile, "I'll walk you home. It's not safe here after dark." Willow nodded in understanding. The young man turned and they headed back towards the semi-safety of the lit streets.
At Willow's house, Willow stood outside her front door, looking up at the young man. He was clearly almost a decade her senior, if not more. But her heart thumped rapidly against her ribcage. It had done that exact thing only once before: when she realized she was in love with Xander. "Thank you again." Willow said, standing on tiptoe to kiss the young man on the cheek. He said nothing, but smiled, closing his eyes and bowing his head slightly. Willow turned and unlocked the door, then once she was in the house, turned to thank the man again, but he was gone.
As Willow drifted off to sleep, she realized that not all knights wear armor; some of them wear all black and have eyes that could see through to your very soul.
Willow never saw the young man for the rest of the summer. School had started and in January, they got a new student: Buffy Summers. She was nice enough; but Willow was worried when she saw her hanging out with Cordelia. Buffy wanted to catch up with school, so she went to Willow. Willow was slightly dejected, thinking that Buffy only hung out with her because of her academic superiority. But when Buffy saved her and Xander from those...vampires, Willow knew that she was a good friend.
One night, about a week after defeating Amy Madison's mother, Willow and Buffy met Xander at the Bronze. Xander wrapped his arms around Willow and Buffy's shoulders, saying how one of their fellow students had dared question his manliness. Soon, Buffy got distracted and walked over to a darkened corner where a man wearing black pants, a white wife beater tank top, and a black leather jacket stood. Willow's eyebrows went up, barely hearing Xander as he spoke. Then it all clicked together in her mind. Her knight in shining armor was Angel, the man that Buffy had a crush on. Oh, this can't be good...Willow sighed mentally.
The End