"You're grounded. No more cheerleading, no more dating, no more mall, no
more hanging out with your friends, nothing." Hank Summers said harshly in
the Summers' living room that night. Buffy, Hank, and Joyce were seated
around their plush leather couch set, Buffy curled up with a leather
cushion and her parents opposite her. Opposing her. Of course, she
realized, they had their reasons. How could they ever understand that her
school had been infested with vampires? And yet.
"But Dad, I had my reasons for doing what I did!"
Hank Summers sighed, rubbing his five o'clock shadow, obviously stressed out. He took a look at his fifteen-year-old daughter, curled up on the couch. She looked so innocent, dressed in a pair of very pastel pink pajama bottoms with printed baby blue winged pigs, and a baby blue tank. She looked so young, and sweet, and so.harmless. He couldn't believe that it was his daughter who had burned the gym down, but concrete proof proved him wrong, since that was what proof did, prove things wrong or right.
"Yes, you told us," Joyce said, giving her husband's voice a break. "Vampires. Really, Buffy, I don't know where you come up with these things, but vampires simply don't exist. I thought your father and I had solved your monster belief when you were five, with the whole Power Girl costume."
Buffy sighed. This was going to be harder than she thought. "Look, Mom, Dad, I'm telling you the truth! There were vampires, which I had to get rid of! I mean, hello? If I didn't we'd so be walking blood bags for them!"
"Buffy Anne Summers!" Joyce exclaimed gruffly. Buffy sat straight up, the cushion falling off her lap and onto the couch. "You will sit quiet this instant and listen to what your father and I say to you!"
"But Mom-"
"Don't but Mom me, young lady! Now, as your father said, you will go to your room and you will not use the phone to talk to anyone. Not Kimberly, not Natalie, no one! And furthermore, you are not to go out anywhere, and-"
"Alright, Mom, getting the picture!" Buffy said, holding up her hand as though it were the white flag of surrender. "No more socializing..like anyone's gonna wanna after Friday. Anyway, fine, I get it. Grounded for pretty much life. I'm going." The young girl stood up, but was stopped at the entrance by Hank's voice.
"Look Buffy, we are sorry," he said, his voice timid, "but you have to understand that this is hard on us as well."
"But we'll do the best we can to make things better." Joyce chimed in. "We'll find a private school or something. But for now."
"I know," Buffy said solemnly, "my room. I'm gone." The Slayer quietly made her way upstairs to her room, wishing there were someway that she could make her parents see that she wasn't a juvenile delinquent.
"But Dad, I had my reasons for doing what I did!"
Hank Summers sighed, rubbing his five o'clock shadow, obviously stressed out. He took a look at his fifteen-year-old daughter, curled up on the couch. She looked so innocent, dressed in a pair of very pastel pink pajama bottoms with printed baby blue winged pigs, and a baby blue tank. She looked so young, and sweet, and so.harmless. He couldn't believe that it was his daughter who had burned the gym down, but concrete proof proved him wrong, since that was what proof did, prove things wrong or right.
"Yes, you told us," Joyce said, giving her husband's voice a break. "Vampires. Really, Buffy, I don't know where you come up with these things, but vampires simply don't exist. I thought your father and I had solved your monster belief when you were five, with the whole Power Girl costume."
Buffy sighed. This was going to be harder than she thought. "Look, Mom, Dad, I'm telling you the truth! There were vampires, which I had to get rid of! I mean, hello? If I didn't we'd so be walking blood bags for them!"
"Buffy Anne Summers!" Joyce exclaimed gruffly. Buffy sat straight up, the cushion falling off her lap and onto the couch. "You will sit quiet this instant and listen to what your father and I say to you!"
"But Mom-"
"Don't but Mom me, young lady! Now, as your father said, you will go to your room and you will not use the phone to talk to anyone. Not Kimberly, not Natalie, no one! And furthermore, you are not to go out anywhere, and-"
"Alright, Mom, getting the picture!" Buffy said, holding up her hand as though it were the white flag of surrender. "No more socializing..like anyone's gonna wanna after Friday. Anyway, fine, I get it. Grounded for pretty much life. I'm going." The young girl stood up, but was stopped at the entrance by Hank's voice.
"Look Buffy, we are sorry," he said, his voice timid, "but you have to understand that this is hard on us as well."
"But we'll do the best we can to make things better." Joyce chimed in. "We'll find a private school or something. But for now."
"I know," Buffy said solemnly, "my room. I'm gone." The Slayer quietly made her way upstairs to her room, wishing there were someway that she could make her parents see that she wasn't a juvenile delinquent.