I Was Always Yours
Chapter 1: Don't Forget Me
Parents, friends, and relatives were starting to fill up the seats of the Hampton High School football stadium in the small town of Redford, New York. Every single person in that stadium were smiling and snapping photos.
On the football turf were about three hundred chairs for the graduating class of 1999. On the left corner of the chairs was the high school band getting ready for the graduation march and on the right were the proud teachers of the class of 1999.
Behind the stadium stands stood a nervous crowd of students in caps and gowns. The girls wore white gowns and caps while the guys wore blue. The students were all talking cheery to other students but also shedding a few tears. This was the highlight of their life so far and it was overwhelming all of them.
"Buffy?!" a red headed girl in a white graduation gown went looking around through the crowds of students till she stopped a girl standing alone off into the distance. "Buffy?" the red head asked again which made the girl standing alone turn around.
"Hey Willow…" Buffy answered back and gave a little smile.
"Hey!" she sounded cheery but then turned sad when she saw her friends face, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing much…just…thinking…" Buffy asked and sighed.
"Oh…" Willow said and looked over at group of students and waved them over when Buffy wasn't looking. Willow turned back to Buffy, "Well we're all set and ready to go for the long march."
"Ah yes…the long walk." A boy said and walked over with a group of students around him.
"Hey Xander…guys." Buffy smiled at her friends.
"Everything alright luv?" asked Spike, Buffy's British boyfriend that she loved to death.
"Fine…just a little bummed." Buffy said while Spike walked up to her and put his arm around her shoulder.
"Bummed? You got to be kidding we finally get the hell out of this hell hole!" exclaimed Cordelia Chase, Xander's girlfriend and queen of Hampton High School.
"Come on Cordy you are got to miss being queen of this 'hell hole' as you say." Said Oz, Willow's boyfriend, "Once we leave this place…we are going to be small fish in a big ocean."
"Okay now you guys are making me bummed and scared." Buffy said.
"Come on luv…there is nothing to be scared of…" Spike started as he walked Buffy off away from the group of friends so they could be alone, "You are strong gal and you don't give yourself enough credit for it."
Spike and Buffy stood there looking at each other in cap and gown knowing that things were going to change for them. Spike was going to attend NYU in the fall while Buffy goes to UCLA. Both of them were going to be on different sides of the country and they knew that there bond may fade away.
"I'm only strong when you are with me…" Buffy whispered. Spike smiled and then leaned his head on her forehead and looked into her green eyes while she gazed into his blue.
"Don't cry…" Spike whispered to his love.
"It's kind of hard not too." She whispered back to him.
He leaned a little back and took off his cap and ran his fingers through his curly bleached blonde locks of hair that Buffy absolutely adored.
"Buffy…I told you…we can still make this work while you're in California…we can—" Spike started.
"You would wait four years?" Buffy interrupted. "Four years is too long…"
"It's not that long…when you think about all the breaks we have and the summer vacation it's not that long." Spike told her.
Buffy looked down at the ground knowing that Spike would never give up on her, never let her go, and would continue to convince her that they can have a long distance relationship. Buffy knew better though. She knew that long distance relationships failed within the first year from experience with her last boyfriend, Parker, who moved to Texas. Buffy wanted more for Spike. She didn't want to be the burden on him.
"Spike…" Buffy started to speak the words that would kill both of them. "…I want you to promise me that if someone asks you on a date in college that you will accept it."
Spike looked at his girlfriend as if she was crazy. "Buffy…are you crazy?"
"Maybe…" She gave a small smile and then got back to the main subject, "Promise me."
"What are you saying?" Spike asked her with fear in his eyes. "Don't tell me—"
"I'm saying…we should break up…cut each others line loose and…let go." Buffy said quietly.
"Buffy I—" Spike started but was once again interrupted by Buffy.
"I didn't mean to do this on graduation day I didn't, but…you know we have to do this…I don't want to be the one holding you back...I don't want to be a burden." Buffy said with a little sob in her voice.
"You're not!" Spike said a little loudly and starting to get upset. "I…I don't want this to happen. I love you too much to let this happen…we're suppose to be together." He said softly.
"Maybe…and maybe not…we'll never know if we keep holding on to each other." Buffy said with a few tears running down her cheek. "And this is not a question of me loving you or not…" she said quickly so he didn't think she didn't love him. " Because I love you…I love you sooo much…and that's why we have to do this. As much as it hurts…we have to do this…"
Spike looked up at Buffy and met her teary eyes. Buffy stepped forward and threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. Spike took a moment to react to her hug and when he reacted he put his arms around her and hugged back. He closed his eyes and a tear fell down his cheek as well. He could hear Buffy sniff her nose from crying and feel his shoulder get wet from her tears.
"Promise me something…" Spike said to Buffy while he hugged her.
"What?" She sniffed out while still hugging him tighter.
"That when you come to your senses you'll come find me." That made Buffy laugh a little. "And that you'll never forget me." Spike said and let go of her so he could see her face.
More tears started to pour down Buffy's cheek when he said those words to her. "Never." She whispered and used her graduation gown sleeve to brush her tears away. She knew she could never forget Spike even if she tried. "I can never forget you…ever." She whispered.
Spike takes Buffy's shoulders and makes her look him in the eyes. "I want you to know if you find someone else…and if he says that he'll put all of his power into loving you for lifetime…until his last breath…it still wouldn't be enough power to match mine that I put into loving you everyday."
With those words Buffy wanted to take back everything that she said to him, to hug him until she became apart of him, and to kiss him until she devours him. But all Buffy could do was stare into his eyes and get a shiver up her spine, knowing that soon they would have to part.
The graduation march started and the students around them started scurrying around and getting in line.
"Buffy! Spike!" Willow called out to them and move into line. Willow had no idea that the couple was breaking up just a couple feet away from her.
However, both Spike and Buffy didn't hear Willow. All they could hear is each others hearts breaking.
"Buffy Summers! William Kendell!" a teacher yelled out to the couple. Finally Spike and Buffy walked over to the students and line.
There were two lines. One line for the girl graduates and one for the guys. The two lines started off onto the football field. Both Spike and Buffy's mind were not focused on anything but each other. They were both drowning in a sadness that seemed to hurt so bad that they didn't think there was ever a pain like this.
When the students were finally sitting down in there chairs Willow looked over at Buffy who sat next to her and saw her face.
"Buffy…what's wrong?" Willow whispered.
Buffy took a moment until she finally realized Willow was talking to her. "I'm fine." She whispered back.
Willow knew her friend a lot more than that. Willow thought Buffy might break down crying right in the middle of commencement.
Willow looked up at the podium and smiled and nudged Buffy. "Snyder's going to speak…he always makes you laugh." Willow whispered and tried to cheer Buffy up.
Over on the other side boys sat. Spike was not even paying attention to his surroundings. He was just staring down at the ground looking very depressed. Too depressed for someone who was graduating and Xander knew it when he saw Spike's face. Once the guys were seated Xander turned around in his seat and faced Spike.
"Hey…what's the matter?" Xander whispered.
Spike looked up at Xander and mumbled, "Nothing." Xander shrugged and then turned around in his sit.
As the ceremony progressed the students had received there diplomas and time for the final speech by the president of the board of education.
"…before we end the evening…" the president of the board of education started, "I want the Class of 1999 to remember this moment…this moment where all eyes are on you…and this moment is your starting point. You can run in the direction of executive of a big New York City company or you can be sailing around the world tomorrow. Class of 1999 you have a clean slate once again...live in the moment….because you only got one life…."
Both Spike and Buffy look around the seats and spot each others eyes.
"…Friends…colleagues…I present the class of 1999!" the president of the board of education said.
The audience cheered and clapped. The graduates came to there feet, grabbed there cap and tossed it into the air. Everyone was on there feet hugging and yelling but Spike and Buffy. All they did was sit and look across the chairs and stare at each other.
