Willow's been staying at her parents for the past few days. I guess the
dorms remind her too much of Tara. I stand in the back garden, looking up
at her French windows. I still don't know what to say, so I continue to
wait. I think about the number of times I snuck round here when I was
younger, when my parents fighting became too much, and how Willow would
just talk to me and somehow everything just seemed better. Once again I
wonder how I have managed to so badly affect my best friend's happiness. I
know that Tara is the one for Willow; I feel it in my blood. And, eww, when
did I start feeling things in my blood? Oh, right.
With a leap I leave the ground and land outside her French doors. I tap lightly on the window pane; I know she won't be asleep yet. None of the scoobies have gone to sleep before 3am in years. It takes a few minutes for her to appear at the doors. She's in her pyjamas and I briefly wonder whether she actually had been in bed.
"Hi. What are you doing here?" "I think we need to talk." "What about?" "You and Tara." "What's that got to do with you?" Her voice has risen a bit and she's tense. She's just got very defensive. Not that I can blame her. "Well Tara thinks it might have quite a bit to do with me." "You spoke to Tara?" In seconds she's gone from being angry to being upset. I quickly step inside and lead her over to the bed before sitting her down. "Yeh, I'm worried about you, and I'm worried about her. Willow, what's going on? Things seemed to be going really great for you two, then I get back and Tara says that you've broken up." Willows looking at her feet, and it doesn't look like she's going to answer me. "Tara thinks that you're in love with me. I think she's wrong, but I really need to hear what you think." "I, after you, you, just after. I thought about, all the things I used to imagine, when we were little. About how we would grow up, and, and have a family, and grow old. And you weren't there anymore. And I realised that I really wanted that, and I do. I love you." My friend's fingers are clutching my shirt as she cries into my chest. All I can do is stroke her hair as I whisper to her. "Shhh, it's ok. I know you love me. And I know you love me more than a friend. But I know you love Tara too, don't you?" Her only answer is a small nod against my chest. "You see the thing is. She's who you're meant to be with. I'm sure of it. And she's still got your heart. That's why you need to go make things right with her." "But what if you're wrong? Why do I feel this way if I'm not meant to be with you? It's not fair." "Heh, it's okay. Tell you what. If you come to me in a year, or in ten years, and you can honestly offer me your heart then I will gladly accept it. You'll always have mine." "Xander?" "Yeh?" "Please tell me this talk isn't making you hungry." "..." "Ewww." "I know. Look, please think about this ok? And maybe you could talk to Tara, because she's taking this really hard."
With a leap I leave the ground and land outside her French doors. I tap lightly on the window pane; I know she won't be asleep yet. None of the scoobies have gone to sleep before 3am in years. It takes a few minutes for her to appear at the doors. She's in her pyjamas and I briefly wonder whether she actually had been in bed.
"Hi. What are you doing here?" "I think we need to talk." "What about?" "You and Tara." "What's that got to do with you?" Her voice has risen a bit and she's tense. She's just got very defensive. Not that I can blame her. "Well Tara thinks it might have quite a bit to do with me." "You spoke to Tara?" In seconds she's gone from being angry to being upset. I quickly step inside and lead her over to the bed before sitting her down. "Yeh, I'm worried about you, and I'm worried about her. Willow, what's going on? Things seemed to be going really great for you two, then I get back and Tara says that you've broken up." Willows looking at her feet, and it doesn't look like she's going to answer me. "Tara thinks that you're in love with me. I think she's wrong, but I really need to hear what you think." "I, after you, you, just after. I thought about, all the things I used to imagine, when we were little. About how we would grow up, and, and have a family, and grow old. And you weren't there anymore. And I realised that I really wanted that, and I do. I love you." My friend's fingers are clutching my shirt as she cries into my chest. All I can do is stroke her hair as I whisper to her. "Shhh, it's ok. I know you love me. And I know you love me more than a friend. But I know you love Tara too, don't you?" Her only answer is a small nod against my chest. "You see the thing is. She's who you're meant to be with. I'm sure of it. And she's still got your heart. That's why you need to go make things right with her." "But what if you're wrong? Why do I feel this way if I'm not meant to be with you? It's not fair." "Heh, it's okay. Tell you what. If you come to me in a year, or in ten years, and you can honestly offer me your heart then I will gladly accept it. You'll always have mine." "Xander?" "Yeh?" "Please tell me this talk isn't making you hungry." "..." "Ewww." "I know. Look, please think about this ok? And maybe you could talk to Tara, because she's taking this really hard."