Buffy sighed as she fought her way through the crowds at the mall. Usually, she loved to shop. Unfortunately, today her heart just wasn't into it. She had only been in LA for three weeks, but that was three weeks without Xander.
"Ooh! Shoes!" she squealed. Realizing nearby shoppers had heard her, Buffy ducked into the store, embarrassed. Buffy smiled slightly. Shoes wouldn't take away the loneliness, but they were definitely a temporary relief.
Half an hour later, Buffy exited the store, beaming with satisfaction about her three new purchases. The red strappy shoes would look great with the black miniskirt and red top that Xander loved so much. She missed him more than she thought was possible. Buffy's smile fell as she thought of her boyfriend and the distance between them. So she sighed and continued walking.
Buffy was so wrapped up in her own thoughts, she almost didn't hear her name being called. Buffy stopped suddenly, looking around to find the source.
"Buffy?" the voice called again. "Buffy Summers?"
Buffy noticed a tall brunette heading in her direction. "Oh my god! Kimberly?" Buffy squealed as she recognized her old friend. The two girls threw their arms around each other in greeting and kissed the air just above the other's cheek. Kimberly pulled back and gave Buffy a once-over.
"Wow, Buffy, you look great!" Kimberly smiled. "Oh, and it's just Kym, with a 'y' now."
"How," Buffy began, searching her mind for the right word. "Tres chic."
"Why thank you!" Kym held her hand to her heart, a trace of a Southern-accent in her voice. "What's it been, like, three years or something."
"Or something," Buffy agreed. It was actually only one and a half years, but who was counting? Seeing her old friend was great, but the best thing was that Kym had moved to Louisiana before Buffy had become the Slayer.
"Wow! Imagine seeing you here," Kym remarked. "I had totally lost track of the old gang, seeing how you were all too good to write me."
"Um, excuse much!" Buffy exclaimed, falling slightly into the slang of her LA days. "Are you suffering from severe memory loss or did you just totally forget that you never gave us your address?"
"I didn't?" Kym looked shocked.
"Nope."
"Whoops!" Kym sighed. "I knew I was forgetting something." She perked up. "Oh well! You're here now. So, where's everyone?"
"Everyone?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah, everyone," Kym looked at Buffy as if she had suddenly grown a third arm. "You know? Andy? Jeffrey? Cassandra? The other Kim? Everyone!"
"Oh them," Buffy tensed up. "Well, I don't actually know…"
"Why not?"
"Well, not to go into too much detail or anything," Buffy started. "I moved."
"Oh," Kym fell silent while she processed the information. Then her face lit up, as if a light bulb had gone off in her head. "Oh! You moved! Where to?"
"It's not far from here. A little place called Sunnydale." Buffy explained. "It's pretty small. There's like no places to really go and party or anything," she continued as they made their way into the food court.
"How dreadful!" Kym cried. "Of course, I'm not doing much better. That's why I convinced my parents to send me here for the summer. Withdrawal or something."
"It was at first. Dreadful, that is," Buffy admitted. "But I got used to it."
"I bet you reign over that school," Kym sighed wistfully.
"Actually," Buffy stalled, trying to decide how much to tell Kym. She finally decided she had nothing to lose. "I'm not. I do have friends, but I'm not 'cool enough' to be popular there."
"You've gotta be kidding! You, not cool enough? But I know what you mean," Kym sighed, flopping down in a nearby chair. "I'm not that popular, either."
"You're kidding me! You?" Buffy echoed. She was shocked. Kym had always been her idol while growing up. She was absolutely gorgeous and every girl had wanted to be her, Buffy included. Her long, dark hair fell in a mass of ringlets that framed her face. Her dark green eyes sparkled under thick eyelashes. Kym stood tall at 5'9", but her body was toned and muscular from years of dance and cheerleading. Buffy had always been insanely jealous of Kym. She made it look so easy.
"I'm not very popular in Baton Rouge, either," Kym admitted with a frown. "I believe the term was 'too Valley Girl.'"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Buffy wondered out loud.
"I don't know, Buffy," Kym replied. "Things are just so different there. They talk different, like different things, everything. I just don't belong there. I am and will always be a California girl, I guess."
"Yeah," Buffy agreed before lapsing into silence. They sat there together, lost in thought. Buffy was the first to break it. "Do you have friends in Louisiana?" she asked.
"A couple," Kym answered. "You? In Sunnydale, that is?"
Buffy smiled as she thought of her friends. They may not be the coolest bunch around, but it didn't matter to Buffy. Not anymore. "I've got a few."
"Boyfriend?"
Buffy blushed, "Yeah."
Kym laughed. "I knew it. Buffy Summers is in love. Come on girl, I want details. Spill already!"
"Details, huh?" Buffy chuckled. "Well, get ready because I'm afraid that once I start talking about Xander, I'm never gonna stop."
"Xander?" Kym raised an eyebrow. "Interesting name." She waited a few seconds while Buffy sat in silence. "Well," she prompted. "You know I'm not the most patient person in the world. Are you going to tell me about Mr. Makes-You-Blush, or am I just going to have to guess?"
"You could try guessing," Buffy challenged.
"Okay," Kym thought for a moment. "Is he tall, dark, and handsome?"
Buffy grinned, "Yes, yes, and um…yes."
"Great personality? Sense of humor?"
"Definitely."
The brunette pursed her lips. "So, do you have a picture of Mr. GQ?"
"Yep," Buffy replied, digging into her purse for the wallet. Finding it, she pulled out a photograph. The picture had been taken two weeks ago at the beach. The day was crystal clear and Xander had planned a magnificent picnic, with Joyce's help, of course. Xander had his arms around Buffy, lifting her off the ground. They were both laughing. Xander had gotten a random beachgoer to snap the photo. Buffy loved this picture. They both looked so happy and relaxed.
Kym took the picture from Buffy and looked closely at it. Her smile faltered a bit, "I'm sure he's a great person."
Buffy frowned as she placed the photo back in her wallet. She remained silent, trying to decipher Kym's reaction. Kym noticed Buffy's disappointment and quickly changed the topic, though only slightly. "So, how did you and Xander meet?"
Buffy's face lit up as she thought happier thoughts. "Xander was the first person I met at Sunnydale High. He literally fell for me at first sight," she laughed. The blond noticed her friend's confused look and continued her story. "See, Xander was riding his skateboard and then he ran into a railing. I like to think he was blinded by my stunning beauty and didn't see the railing."
Kym snickered. Buffy decided to ignore her and kept talking. "Xander quickly became one of my best friends. Xander and Willow, both. Xander and Willow have been best friends forever and then I came along. They both took me in and shared their lives with me. I couldn't ask for better friends."
"What happened to change your relationship with Xander?" Kym was a little bit jealous. She had struggled to make a single friend in Louisiana but Buffy had only taken one day to make two.
"He saved my life," Buffy said.
"No really," Kym laughed. Then she realized Buffy wasn't joining in her chuckles. "You're serious aren't you?" Buffy nodded. "How?"
"I drowned," Buffy said simply. "If he hadn't known CPR, I would have died."
Kym frowned, "Wow! I guess that is enough reason to make anyone love a person."
"Well, that's not the only reason, but it was a major turning point for us," Buffy hinted at more.
"What other reason is there?"
The blond remained silent, trying to decide whether she should tell Kym about her dream or not. She really didn't know her that well anymore. But then again, that could be a plus. If Kym thought Buffy was crazy, did it really matter? Buffy decided it didn't. Besides, Kym was just so easy to talk to; it was almost like talking to herself. "I had this dream. Well, sort of. You know how people say that when you're about to die, your life flashes before your eyes?" Kym nodded so Buffy continued. "Well, I saw my future. There were two different versions, one where I chose Xander and one where I chose someone else. When he revived me, I just knew Xander was the right choice."
"There was someone else?" Kym asked. "I mean, why else would you have to choose?"
"There was someone else," Buffy confirmed. "His name is Angel."
"Angel?" Kym rolled her eyes. "Doesn't anyone in Sunnyville have normal names? He's not in a gang or anything like that, is he?"
"No, it was a nickname that just sort of stuck with him," Buffy explained. "Angel is, well, he's difficult to describe. He's the type I always went for before: tall, dark beyond description, mysterious, and brooding."
"Sounds gorgeous," the brunette purred.
"He is," Buffy admitted. "But he wasn't the one for me. Our romance would never have lasted. Too much tragedy for me. I'm happy with Xander. He won't leave me. I want to be happy."
"And this Angel would have left you?"
"Yes, and then it would have been followed by other ill-fated flings. I just can't handle that."
"So what exactly happened in this dream that made you choose Xander?" Kym was confused.
"That's the funny thing," Buffy replied, wrinkling her nose. "I don't remember much about it. At first, I could remember everything. Every day, the memories fade even more. I wrote things down, but I don't know if that matters. The only thing that remains strong is my love for Xander. He's THE one."
"Interesting," Kym said, glancing down at her watch. "I hate to say it, but I've gotta run for now. Are you in town long?"
"All summer," Buffy told her standing up.
"Great!" the other girl smiled. "Wanna go check out some of the old hang-outs tonight? I'm here all summer, too."
Buffy smiled. "That sounds like fun. I haven't done any real clubbing in forever. We only have one club in Sunnydale."
"Oh you poor, poor girl," Kym cooed, writing something on a piece of paper. When she finished, she handed the slip to Buffy. "Here's my address and phone number. Now what's yours?" Buffy rattled off her father's unfamiliar address as Kym copied it down. "Cool, you're only, like, five blocks away. Normally, I'd drive, but my car's in the shop. So I guess we'll just have to stick close to home. That is, unless you have a car…"
Buffy shook her head vigorously. "Me?" she squeaked. "No way! Me and cars don't mix!"
Kym laughed. "Okay then, walking it is. Do you want to meet me at my place? Say around 9:30?"
"Sounds good to me," Buffy agreed. The two then headed towards the parking lot, chatting about every inane subject that came to mind. Buffy was looking forward to tonight and the possibility of having a good time. But first, she wanted to talk to Xander.
"Ooh! Shoes!" she squealed. Realizing nearby shoppers had heard her, Buffy ducked into the store, embarrassed. Buffy smiled slightly. Shoes wouldn't take away the loneliness, but they were definitely a temporary relief.
Half an hour later, Buffy exited the store, beaming with satisfaction about her three new purchases. The red strappy shoes would look great with the black miniskirt and red top that Xander loved so much. She missed him more than she thought was possible. Buffy's smile fell as she thought of her boyfriend and the distance between them. So she sighed and continued walking.
Buffy was so wrapped up in her own thoughts, she almost didn't hear her name being called. Buffy stopped suddenly, looking around to find the source.
"Buffy?" the voice called again. "Buffy Summers?"
Buffy noticed a tall brunette heading in her direction. "Oh my god! Kimberly?" Buffy squealed as she recognized her old friend. The two girls threw their arms around each other in greeting and kissed the air just above the other's cheek. Kimberly pulled back and gave Buffy a once-over.
"Wow, Buffy, you look great!" Kimberly smiled. "Oh, and it's just Kym, with a 'y' now."
"How," Buffy began, searching her mind for the right word. "Tres chic."
"Why thank you!" Kym held her hand to her heart, a trace of a Southern-accent in her voice. "What's it been, like, three years or something."
"Or something," Buffy agreed. It was actually only one and a half years, but who was counting? Seeing her old friend was great, but the best thing was that Kym had moved to Louisiana before Buffy had become the Slayer.
"Wow! Imagine seeing you here," Kym remarked. "I had totally lost track of the old gang, seeing how you were all too good to write me."
"Um, excuse much!" Buffy exclaimed, falling slightly into the slang of her LA days. "Are you suffering from severe memory loss or did you just totally forget that you never gave us your address?"
"I didn't?" Kym looked shocked.
"Nope."
"Whoops!" Kym sighed. "I knew I was forgetting something." She perked up. "Oh well! You're here now. So, where's everyone?"
"Everyone?" Buffy asked.
"Yeah, everyone," Kym looked at Buffy as if she had suddenly grown a third arm. "You know? Andy? Jeffrey? Cassandra? The other Kim? Everyone!"
"Oh them," Buffy tensed up. "Well, I don't actually know…"
"Why not?"
"Well, not to go into too much detail or anything," Buffy started. "I moved."
"Oh," Kym fell silent while she processed the information. Then her face lit up, as if a light bulb had gone off in her head. "Oh! You moved! Where to?"
"It's not far from here. A little place called Sunnydale." Buffy explained. "It's pretty small. There's like no places to really go and party or anything," she continued as they made their way into the food court.
"How dreadful!" Kym cried. "Of course, I'm not doing much better. That's why I convinced my parents to send me here for the summer. Withdrawal or something."
"It was at first. Dreadful, that is," Buffy admitted. "But I got used to it."
"I bet you reign over that school," Kym sighed wistfully.
"Actually," Buffy stalled, trying to decide how much to tell Kym. She finally decided she had nothing to lose. "I'm not. I do have friends, but I'm not 'cool enough' to be popular there."
"You've gotta be kidding! You, not cool enough? But I know what you mean," Kym sighed, flopping down in a nearby chair. "I'm not that popular, either."
"You're kidding me! You?" Buffy echoed. She was shocked. Kym had always been her idol while growing up. She was absolutely gorgeous and every girl had wanted to be her, Buffy included. Her long, dark hair fell in a mass of ringlets that framed her face. Her dark green eyes sparkled under thick eyelashes. Kym stood tall at 5'9", but her body was toned and muscular from years of dance and cheerleading. Buffy had always been insanely jealous of Kym. She made it look so easy.
"I'm not very popular in Baton Rouge, either," Kym admitted with a frown. "I believe the term was 'too Valley Girl.'"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Buffy wondered out loud.
"I don't know, Buffy," Kym replied. "Things are just so different there. They talk different, like different things, everything. I just don't belong there. I am and will always be a California girl, I guess."
"Yeah," Buffy agreed before lapsing into silence. They sat there together, lost in thought. Buffy was the first to break it. "Do you have friends in Louisiana?" she asked.
"A couple," Kym answered. "You? In Sunnydale, that is?"
Buffy smiled as she thought of her friends. They may not be the coolest bunch around, but it didn't matter to Buffy. Not anymore. "I've got a few."
"Boyfriend?"
Buffy blushed, "Yeah."
Kym laughed. "I knew it. Buffy Summers is in love. Come on girl, I want details. Spill already!"
"Details, huh?" Buffy chuckled. "Well, get ready because I'm afraid that once I start talking about Xander, I'm never gonna stop."
"Xander?" Kym raised an eyebrow. "Interesting name." She waited a few seconds while Buffy sat in silence. "Well," she prompted. "You know I'm not the most patient person in the world. Are you going to tell me about Mr. Makes-You-Blush, or am I just going to have to guess?"
"You could try guessing," Buffy challenged.
"Okay," Kym thought for a moment. "Is he tall, dark, and handsome?"
Buffy grinned, "Yes, yes, and um…yes."
"Great personality? Sense of humor?"
"Definitely."
The brunette pursed her lips. "So, do you have a picture of Mr. GQ?"
"Yep," Buffy replied, digging into her purse for the wallet. Finding it, she pulled out a photograph. The picture had been taken two weeks ago at the beach. The day was crystal clear and Xander had planned a magnificent picnic, with Joyce's help, of course. Xander had his arms around Buffy, lifting her off the ground. They were both laughing. Xander had gotten a random beachgoer to snap the photo. Buffy loved this picture. They both looked so happy and relaxed.
Kym took the picture from Buffy and looked closely at it. Her smile faltered a bit, "I'm sure he's a great person."
Buffy frowned as she placed the photo back in her wallet. She remained silent, trying to decipher Kym's reaction. Kym noticed Buffy's disappointment and quickly changed the topic, though only slightly. "So, how did you and Xander meet?"
Buffy's face lit up as she thought happier thoughts. "Xander was the first person I met at Sunnydale High. He literally fell for me at first sight," she laughed. The blond noticed her friend's confused look and continued her story. "See, Xander was riding his skateboard and then he ran into a railing. I like to think he was blinded by my stunning beauty and didn't see the railing."
Kym snickered. Buffy decided to ignore her and kept talking. "Xander quickly became one of my best friends. Xander and Willow, both. Xander and Willow have been best friends forever and then I came along. They both took me in and shared their lives with me. I couldn't ask for better friends."
"What happened to change your relationship with Xander?" Kym was a little bit jealous. She had struggled to make a single friend in Louisiana but Buffy had only taken one day to make two.
"He saved my life," Buffy said.
"No really," Kym laughed. Then she realized Buffy wasn't joining in her chuckles. "You're serious aren't you?" Buffy nodded. "How?"
"I drowned," Buffy said simply. "If he hadn't known CPR, I would have died."
Kym frowned, "Wow! I guess that is enough reason to make anyone love a person."
"Well, that's not the only reason, but it was a major turning point for us," Buffy hinted at more.
"What other reason is there?"
The blond remained silent, trying to decide whether she should tell Kym about her dream or not. She really didn't know her that well anymore. But then again, that could be a plus. If Kym thought Buffy was crazy, did it really matter? Buffy decided it didn't. Besides, Kym was just so easy to talk to; it was almost like talking to herself. "I had this dream. Well, sort of. You know how people say that when you're about to die, your life flashes before your eyes?" Kym nodded so Buffy continued. "Well, I saw my future. There were two different versions, one where I chose Xander and one where I chose someone else. When he revived me, I just knew Xander was the right choice."
"There was someone else?" Kym asked. "I mean, why else would you have to choose?"
"There was someone else," Buffy confirmed. "His name is Angel."
"Angel?" Kym rolled her eyes. "Doesn't anyone in Sunnyville have normal names? He's not in a gang or anything like that, is he?"
"No, it was a nickname that just sort of stuck with him," Buffy explained. "Angel is, well, he's difficult to describe. He's the type I always went for before: tall, dark beyond description, mysterious, and brooding."
"Sounds gorgeous," the brunette purred.
"He is," Buffy admitted. "But he wasn't the one for me. Our romance would never have lasted. Too much tragedy for me. I'm happy with Xander. He won't leave me. I want to be happy."
"And this Angel would have left you?"
"Yes, and then it would have been followed by other ill-fated flings. I just can't handle that."
"So what exactly happened in this dream that made you choose Xander?" Kym was confused.
"That's the funny thing," Buffy replied, wrinkling her nose. "I don't remember much about it. At first, I could remember everything. Every day, the memories fade even more. I wrote things down, but I don't know if that matters. The only thing that remains strong is my love for Xander. He's THE one."
"Interesting," Kym said, glancing down at her watch. "I hate to say it, but I've gotta run for now. Are you in town long?"
"All summer," Buffy told her standing up.
"Great!" the other girl smiled. "Wanna go check out some of the old hang-outs tonight? I'm here all summer, too."
Buffy smiled. "That sounds like fun. I haven't done any real clubbing in forever. We only have one club in Sunnydale."
"Oh you poor, poor girl," Kym cooed, writing something on a piece of paper. When she finished, she handed the slip to Buffy. "Here's my address and phone number. Now what's yours?" Buffy rattled off her father's unfamiliar address as Kym copied it down. "Cool, you're only, like, five blocks away. Normally, I'd drive, but my car's in the shop. So I guess we'll just have to stick close to home. That is, unless you have a car…"
Buffy shook her head vigorously. "Me?" she squeaked. "No way! Me and cars don't mix!"
Kym laughed. "Okay then, walking it is. Do you want to meet me at my place? Say around 9:30?"
"Sounds good to me," Buffy agreed. The two then headed towards the parking lot, chatting about every inane subject that came to mind. Buffy was looking forward to tonight and the possibility of having a good time. But first, she wanted to talk to Xander.
