TEN
Joyce Summers was about to bite into her sandwich when she heard the
doorbell ring. She put her sandwich down on the counter and walked into the
living room. It was not often she had visitors at this time of day, so it
was a pleasant surprise for her. Recently she had begun to grow lonely and
bored, and the slightest sign of entertainment made her day.
Probably someone from the book club, she thought as she strolled across the
room leisurely to the door. The doorbell sounded another time just as she
opened the door.
"Hey! Can you believe that I actually arrived here twenty minutes early? On
the bus? I actually thought hell froze over." Buffy announced her arrival
with such nonchalance that it would seem that she hadn't been away for such
a long time.
"Buffy!" was all her mother could say.
"Hi, mom."
Joyce pulled her daughter close and embraced her tightly. They hugged for a
long time, until Buffy politely requested for oxygen. They pulled away and
Joyce looked at Buffy lovingly.
However, this was short-lived as her face turned from deliriously happy to
stern and reprimanding. "Buffy, I know you're old enough to make your own
decisions, and that you're a responsible adult, but I am still your mother,
and I would like to…"
Buffy smiled and hugged her mother again. "Never thought I'd say this, but
I miss the nagging."
"Well, you'll be pleased to know that there's more where that came from."
Her mother put her hands on her hips. "Just because you're not a teenager
any more doesn't mean that you can just…"
"I know, I know." Buffy walked in and jumped on the couch. Her voice took
on a serious tone. "I know what I did was childish, immature, and foolish….
But I just needed to take a break. Get away from everything."
"You have no idea how worried I was , wondering if…"
Buffy once again interrupted her mother. "I did write."
"*One* letter," Joyce said. "And that wasn't really much in it. I was this
close to just packing my things and going after you."
"But you didn't."
"No."
"You sent Xander instead."
"Well… he seemed… I thought you would listen to him more than you would
me."
"Oh, good thinking, mother," said Buffy sarcastically.
Joyce looked at her. "What did you do?"
"What do you mean?"
"What did you do?" Joyce repeated.
"Why do you assume it's my fault?"
"It usually is, isn't it."
"Your motherly support is just overwhelming at this point," said Buffy.
She sighed. "But, yes, it is my fault. But… but… I blame you."
"And how am I involved in all this?"
"If you didn't send Xander after me, none of this would have happened."
Buffy wrung her hands.
"*What* happened?"
"Maybe I might have said some things that would be considered… eh… bad."
"Bad?" echoed Joyce.
"Very bad." She folded and unfolded her arms. "I'm a horrible, horrible
person. Why did you have to ask Xander to come and find me?"
"I didn't. He wanted to go." Joyce took a seat opposite her daughter. "He
cares very much for you, you know."
Buffy buried her head in her hands pitifully. "I know, I know. My life
officially sucks beyond comprehension."
"What did you tell him?"
"Oh, you know, the usual," Buffy looked up, "I… told him I didn't want to
be with him."
"Did you mean it?"
"Of course not. I don't even know why I said it."
Joyce slapped her daughter's head lightly. "What's wrong with you?"
Buffy stared at her mother incredulously. "First… OW. Second… what's with
the third degree? Who's in love with him here - you or me?"
Joyce started to say something but stopped. "You're in love with him?"
Buffy looked at her mother and then sighed again. "I guess so. Maybe. I
think. Yeah. Maybe. Yes. I am."
"Sometimes I wonder who raised you." Her mother paused. "Did you tell him
that?"
"No. But that's why I came back."
Joyce gave her a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"
"I came back here to see Xander. Where is he?"
"He's not here." Joyce said. "I haven't seen him since he left to find
you."
Buffy stared at her mother. "No. He left a few weeks ago."
"He told me he was in town with you," Joyce answered, "He called me last
week."
"No," insisted Buffy. "He told me he was heading back here. That was two
weeks ago. I haven't seen him since."
Joyce looked even more confused. "Are you sure?"
"Well, I think I *would* remember seeing Xander." Buffy said. "What's…"
Her words were interrupted by the screeching of a car, parking in front of
the house. This was soon followed by hurried footsteps and the door was
flung open. Xander came rushing in, panting.
"Joyce… quick…" He said between quick breaths. "She's going to be back
anytime soon, and you've got to pretend that I've been here all the…"
Buffy turned around and looked at him. "Hi, Xander."
Joyce Summers was about to bite into her sandwich when she heard the
doorbell ring. She put her sandwich down on the counter and walked into the
living room. It was not often she had visitors at this time of day, so it
was a pleasant surprise for her. Recently she had begun to grow lonely and
bored, and the slightest sign of entertainment made her day.
Probably someone from the book club, she thought as she strolled across the
room leisurely to the door. The doorbell sounded another time just as she
opened the door.
"Hey! Can you believe that I actually arrived here twenty minutes early? On
the bus? I actually thought hell froze over." Buffy announced her arrival
with such nonchalance that it would seem that she hadn't been away for such
a long time.
"Buffy!" was all her mother could say.
"Hi, mom."
Joyce pulled her daughter close and embraced her tightly. They hugged for a
long time, until Buffy politely requested for oxygen. They pulled away and
Joyce looked at Buffy lovingly.
However, this was short-lived as her face turned from deliriously happy to
stern and reprimanding. "Buffy, I know you're old enough to make your own
decisions, and that you're a responsible adult, but I am still your mother,
and I would like to…"
Buffy smiled and hugged her mother again. "Never thought I'd say this, but
I miss the nagging."
"Well, you'll be pleased to know that there's more where that came from."
Her mother put her hands on her hips. "Just because you're not a teenager
any more doesn't mean that you can just…"
"I know, I know." Buffy walked in and jumped on the couch. Her voice took
on a serious tone. "I know what I did was childish, immature, and foolish….
But I just needed to take a break. Get away from everything."
"You have no idea how worried I was , wondering if…"
Buffy once again interrupted her mother. "I did write."
"*One* letter," Joyce said. "And that wasn't really much in it. I was this
close to just packing my things and going after you."
"But you didn't."
"No."
"You sent Xander instead."
"Well… he seemed… I thought you would listen to him more than you would
me."
"Oh, good thinking, mother," said Buffy sarcastically.
Joyce looked at her. "What did you do?"
"What do you mean?"
"What did you do?" Joyce repeated.
"Why do you assume it's my fault?"
"It usually is, isn't it."
"Your motherly support is just overwhelming at this point," said Buffy.
She sighed. "But, yes, it is my fault. But… but… I blame you."
"And how am I involved in all this?"
"If you didn't send Xander after me, none of this would have happened."
Buffy wrung her hands.
"*What* happened?"
"Maybe I might have said some things that would be considered… eh… bad."
"Bad?" echoed Joyce.
"Very bad." She folded and unfolded her arms. "I'm a horrible, horrible
person. Why did you have to ask Xander to come and find me?"
"I didn't. He wanted to go." Joyce took a seat opposite her daughter. "He
cares very much for you, you know."
Buffy buried her head in her hands pitifully. "I know, I know. My life
officially sucks beyond comprehension."
"What did you tell him?"
"Oh, you know, the usual," Buffy looked up, "I… told him I didn't want to
be with him."
"Did you mean it?"
"Of course not. I don't even know why I said it."
Joyce slapped her daughter's head lightly. "What's wrong with you?"
Buffy stared at her mother incredulously. "First… OW. Second… what's with
the third degree? Who's in love with him here - you or me?"
Joyce started to say something but stopped. "You're in love with him?"
Buffy looked at her mother and then sighed again. "I guess so. Maybe. I
think. Yeah. Maybe. Yes. I am."
"Sometimes I wonder who raised you." Her mother paused. "Did you tell him
that?"
"No. But that's why I came back."
Joyce gave her a puzzled look. "What do you mean?"
"I came back here to see Xander. Where is he?"
"He's not here." Joyce said. "I haven't seen him since he left to find
you."
Buffy stared at her mother. "No. He left a few weeks ago."
"He told me he was in town with you," Joyce answered, "He called me last
week."
"No," insisted Buffy. "He told me he was heading back here. That was two
weeks ago. I haven't seen him since."
Joyce looked even more confused. "Are you sure?"
"Well, I think I *would* remember seeing Xander." Buffy said. "What's…"
Her words were interrupted by the screeching of a car, parking in front of
the house. This was soon followed by hurried footsteps and the door was
flung open. Xander came rushing in, panting.
"Joyce… quick…" He said between quick breaths. "She's going to be back
anytime soon, and you've got to pretend that I've been here all the…"
Buffy turned around and looked at him. "Hi, Xander."