It has been about three and a half years since that day my father ripped me from my mom, my home, and the arms of my best friend. I am sixteen years old and have become 180 degrees different from the girl I had been that day.

Begin Flashback

When my father threw me in his car we drove straight from Sunnydale to LA. Not stopping once for any reason. Not that I asked him to stop, in fact, I didn't speak to him once. His voice kept ringing in my head calling me a tramp, and I vowed never to forgive him. Although he didn't seem to mind my silence at all. We pulled up to a huge house that I had never seen before.

"This wasn't our house," I stated

"You think I'd stay in that hell hole," he snapped. "Darla picked this one out."

I didn't ask him who Darla was and didn't have to because the moment we pulled in the driveway a girl walked out. I put the emphasis on girl because she couldn't have been more than 20. She sauntered up to my dad and the two displayed the most hideous amounts of PDA's I had ever seen. When they broke a part my dad introduced us before barking at me to follow him to my new room. I stayed in my room the entire night. I could hear the couple talking. Darla was complaining about me being there and my father proceeded to assure her I'd be gone the next morning. They then did things a 12-year-old girl should never have to hear and I didn't get any sleep that night. I was 12, but not stupid.

The next day I was on a plane to France. I was horribly frightened. I hadn't done anything alone all my life, as Angel had always been there. I couldn't understand how I'd managed myself into this mess. I arrived in France and there was a driver there prepared to take me to my new school.

My school was in the heart of Paris. It was not the Catholic, nun-teaching, uniform-wearing private girls school I had been expecting. Instead it was a school that places its emphasis on fashion and beauty rather than academics and prayer. I was immediately shoved into a world where a blind man could see I didn't belong.

Lucky for me, the right crowd noticed and had pity for me and took me under their wing. Before I left, my father gave me a credit card and told me to use it as I saw fit. Since I never did forgive Daddy, to say I put it to my advantage is putting it nicely. The girls taught me how to dress and shop. Thanks to Daddy's credit card the little girl who stepped off the plane in France with one bag to her name, now had to buy an entire set of luggage if she wanted to transport all her clothes home.

Within my first year the girls taught me the importance of hair color and make up. They told me my light; stringy, brown hair would never do anything for me. And two months later I had shoulder length, honey-blond hair. My make-up was to remain in the natural shades I was told. That way it only accentuated my hazel-green eyes. The summers we spend on the beaches of Nice, there I was taught the importance of having a healthy tan. The girls became jealous of me when they saw how easily I tanned. It was the summer before 9th grade when they wouldn't stop saying they had created something more lovely them themselves.

The housing was set up like a college with several sororities and I became the first sophomore president of my house. We had dances with the neighboring boy's school and I quickly was taught things I never could have had the guts to learn in Sunnydale. The girls taught me how to flirt, tease, dance, and kiss.

I studied at this school all of 7th, 8th, 9th, and half of 10th grades. I took classes the Sunnydale me would have wet her pants at the thought of. I took speech and debate, desperately wanting to overcome my fear of speaking in public and also wanting to be able to think quickly on my feet and verbally defend myself. But the most important lessons I learned were in my self-defense classes. I quickly rose to the top in my class and learned the moves faster than the teacher could teach them.

My sophomore year I was nominated for Winter Royalty. At the Winter Formal they were announcing it when I was paid my biggest compliment.

"This girl stepped into the halls of our school not knowing her left foot from her right. Barely even a blimp on our radar screen. Today she is one of the most beautiful girls attending this school. When you see her in the halls, she is the epitome of self-confidence. Ladies and gentlemen your Sophomore Queen is Miss Buffy Summers."

I was speechless, no one had ever called me confident before and I was overjoyed by the compliment. I loved my life in France, but I missed my mom in Sunnydale every day. I wrote to my mom and Angel every week, but only my mom ever wrote back. Every day I would rush to the post office, but there was never anything. That Sunnydale girl that had still been a part of me would die a little each day.

But it was on that night, at the Winter Formal, that I decided to hell with Sunnydale and Angel, this is my life now and I love it. Unfortunately it is the story of my life that whenever I get comfortable in one place I get ripped from it.

The next day I was called up to the Dean's office and was told to pack my bags. When I asked why, he told me my father could no longer afford tuition. I ran to my room to call my mom. She only confirmed what the dean had said. Apparently Darla had only been dating my father for his money (who could have guessed) and as soon as he added her name on the checking account she took everything and ran. No one has seen her. My mom sounded so excited to have me coming home I just couldn't bare to tell her how miserable I was to leave. Before she hung up I begged her not to tell anyone in Sunnydale I was coming home. Especially not Kalie or Angel. Finally she said ok not understanding why, but she did say one person knew. She wouldn't tell whom but she assured me I wasn't Kalie or Angel. We hung up and I sat in silence. I couldn't believe in two days I would be back in Sunnydale.

End Flashback

So here I am at LAX with six large suitcases full of clothes, three bags of make - up and hair supplies, and two smaller suitcases of shoes waiting for my mom to come pick me up and take me home. Back home to Sunnydale.

AN: I know you all wanted longer chapters and I promise the next one will be longer but it also will not be out for a couple of days. Thank you so much for the reviews they are so flattering and encouraging. The next chapter we will be brought up to date on Angel and the Sunnydale gang and we will also have the first meeting between teenage Angel and Buffy. Will there be spark-age? DUH! Anyways that's something to look forward to. Keep reviewing!