Chapter Three: Adolescence, part 1

Age Twelve

Buffy picked up the last box from off of the floor. She took a look around what had been her bedroom for the past twelve years. Tears fell down her checks. She didn't want to leave LA. She would be leaving her best friends, Stacy and Dan and everything that was familiar to her. School had been out for a day and a half and she was moving.

Joyce and Rupert had been married for almost five months. They had bought a nice house in a town called Sunnydale. It was about an hour away from all that Buffy knew.

Buffy also didn't like the fact that she was no longer a Summers. Two weeks prior to the move, Rupert had legally become the father of both Buffy and Dawn. They both shared his last name, Giles. Buffy hated it. She wanted things to go back to how things were with just the three of the Summers women but that time had passed.

"Buffy. The moving truck is ready to go. We have to put your box in it dear. Here, let me help you with that." Rupert said as he burst into Buffy's room, ruining her last few moments in her room.

He took the box from her hands and placed it on the floor. He looked at Buffy for a moment. He couldn't imagine what she was thinking. He knew she was hurting but she was so distant from him and he didn't want to over step his boundaries with her. Rupert had hoped that in time she would turn around and at least show him some compassion.

"I know this is hard on you Buffy. I know some what of what you are going through and it isn't easy but it will get easier sweetie, I promise it will. Just give this whole thing a chance. You will meet new friends and keep in touch with your old ones. Things will be all right."

Buffy knew that he cared about her and wasn't saying things just to hear himself talk but she didn't want to hear it, she didn't want to think about he new life.

The Beginning of Junior High School

Buffy was baffled. Her new school was not what she had expected. She had been to three classes and had not made a single friend. She sat at a lunch table, alone. She was sure that Stacy, Dan and the rest of her friends were sitting together at lunch having a great time while she was all by herself.

She sat and looked at her half -eaten sandwich. She wasn't very hungry. She was about to get up and through her lunch away when someone sat next to her.

"I'm sorry if I am bothering you, but do you mind if my friend and I join you? All of the other sets are taken." A red haired girl said cheerfully.

"Go ahead, I was just about to leave anyway." Buffy grumbled.

"You don't have to go," a male voice said from behind her.

"Yea, please stay." The red head added as the boy sat across from her. "You're new aren't you?"

Oh God, is it that obvious? Buffy thought to herself. "Yea, I am new. Do I stick out like a sore thumb?"

The boy shook his head. "No you don't it's just that everyone here has known each other since preschool days. The town is so small that when new families move here, everyone knows." He stopped for a minute and looked at Buffy. "By the way, I'm Xander."

"Hi, I'm Buffy Summ-Giles. I moved here in the beginning of the summer."

"Nice to meet you Buffy. I'm Willow."

The trio sat and talked for the lunch period. Their talking soon became laughter. At the end of the forty-five minute lunch period, Buffy felt more confidant. She and Xander also had the same math class coming up and then she and Willow were in science together. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, the three would all be together for gym class. This was just the beginning of the friendship.

Age fourteen: Freshman year of high school

Buffy had adjusted to her new life thanks to Willow and Xander. The three of them were always together. The summer before high school, the three spent almost everyday at Buffy's house. Buffy had to watch Dawn for the first few weeks of the summer while her mother worked at the gallery and Rupert went visiting his family in England. He had asked Buffy if she wanted to go but Buffy refused. She didn't want to get close to him. He wasn't her real father and didn't want to spend any time with him.

Dawn, however, would be joining Rupert in England after she finished dance camp. She would take a plane by herself at the age of eight. This worried Joyce but the airline assured her that traveling would be safe.

Things between Joyce and Buffy sometimes were intense. Buffy told her mother that she wanted to see her father again. She immediately told Buffy that Rupert was her father. When Buffy told her she meant her biological father, Joyce sat down with her. She explained to Buffy that her father had only recently started to send her child support checks. Joyce explained to Buffy how she struggled at times to support her children. Hank Summers only began paying child support now because Joyce threatened to sue him. She then continued and told her that she had burrow money from her mother to get caught up on the bills.

"Your father is a horrible, horrible man. When he left me, he didn't only leave me; he left you and Dawn too. The only good thing he did was leave me. Buffy, don't you see, I found a man who love you and Dawn more than anything else in the world. Rupert would never, ever let anything happen to you two."

Buffy began crying. She knew her mother was right but she wanted to have the chance to talk to him. She figured that if she was a good girl and didn't allow Rupert to take over her father figure roll, Hank Summers would come rolling back into her life. She figured that she just had to prove herself to him.

On the first day of high school, Xander's older brother, Angel, picked up Willow and Buffy as well as Xander. Buffy thought that Angel was very cute. He was the captain of the soccer and football teams. Angel was one of the most popular boys in the high school. He was also really nice and polite.

At school, Buffy, Willow and Xander shuffled amongst the crowds together. Luckily, they had almost every class together. The only bad thing about their first day was that Willow had a different lunch period than Xander and Buffy.

"Hey Buf, I saved you a seat." Xander said to Buffy.

Buffy sat across from him with her lunch. She reached into her brown bag and grabbed her lunch. "Thank you Xander. Poor Willow, she's going to be all alone."

"I know it stinks but-," Xander was interrupted by his brother and his brother.

"Hey bro, how goes your first day?" Angel asked as he sat next to Buffy.

"It's all right. I haven't gotten lost yet."

"This place isn't that big, you should have no problem. Buffy, are you finding things all right?"

"Yea, I'm just not so excited about you know, school in general. "

Angel smiled as he looked at his friends. "Yea, school kind of has that effect on you. High school isn't bad. The traditions are kind of cool."

Xander gave his brother a weird look. "You just used school and cool in the same sentence, did you notice that?"

"I didn't say school was cool, the traditions are cool. Like the big bon fire that happens home coming weekend in October. It's loads of fun. It's near the beach. You guys have to go to that. It gets better every year that you are in high school." Angel explained as he waved over to his friends.

"We'll have to check that out Buffy." Xander said as he sipped his milk.

"Yea, it will be fun." Buffy smiled.

The rest of the day flew by after lunch. Buffy and Willow had the next class together. Her last class of the day was study hall and she was kind of bored. She looked around the room and didn't see anyone that she knew, except for Angel and Cordelia, who was the most popular girl in Buffy's class. She was nice, once in a while. Buffy watched as she tried to flirt with Angel. He however looked uncomfortable and had called Buffy over.

"Hey, how was the rest of your day?" He asked.

"The same as before. It' school. And how was your day? You looked a little uneasy with Cordelia." Buffy said as she offered a smile.

Angel smiled back. "She's nice but she comes on way too strong. All she is looking for is a quick ticket into my crowd. She's too young and way too uninteresting."

The two continued talking until the bell rang. Buffy went to her locker and as Angel went to his. She met up with her friends and followed them to Angel's car.

At home that night Rupert had made dinner. Everyone sat down to dinner and talked about their days.

"I think second grade is going to be harder than first grade." Dawn said as she picked at her peas.

"Of course it is." Buffy said.

Ignoring Buffy's comment, Joyce asked why she thought so. Dawn began to explain that the teacher's expectations were high and so on. When she finished, Rupert asked how Buffy's day was.

"Why do you want to know?" She snapped at him.

Joyce and Rupert just exchanged looks and remained calm. "I asked because I care about you and wanted to know how your first day in high school was."

Buffy shrugged her shoulder. "It was school, you know. It was all right."

"Did Xander's parents get a new car?" Joyce asked.

"No, that was his brother's car. He's a junior. He said he'd give us rides to school and home, until soccer practice started." Buffy paused for a moment. "Is that all right with you?"

Joyce smiled trying to go past Buffy's attitude. "Yes, that's all right. It's nice of Xander's brother to drive you."

Again, Buffy shrugged her shoulders. "Well, he's a nice person."

"Oh, open house is next week," Dawn interrupted and looked at Joyce. "Do you think that you and dadd-" Buffy cut her off before she could finish.

"Dawn, he isn't your real dad, get over it."

Joyce placed her napkin on the table. "Buffy, that's enough. I think you should go to your room."

"It's true. I want my father, my real father." Buffy said as she stormed off.

She got to her bedroom and slammed the door. She didn't know why she acted that way. She knew Rupert loved her as a daughter but she wanted Hank and n o one else.

Going Out

"Who's driving you?" asked Buffy a few Friday nights after her out bursts. Buffy was going out for dinner with Willow and Xander.

"Angel is." She answered as she waited by the door for the car to arrive.

"Angel is? Doesn't he go out with his friends? He has driven you guys for the past three weeks."

Buffy rolled her yes. "Yes he has friends. He is one of the most popular people in school. He just drops us off and then he comes back to pick us up. Can't a person be nice without being a geek? Jeez mom. That's him. I'll be home before eleven."

"You'll be home before ten, do you hear me young lady?"

Buffy sighed and then left.

The Call

"I promise not to go out or have anyone in the house. It's just a me and Dawn night. We'll watch a Disney movie or something. You guys just go out and have fun." Buffy said as her mother and Rupert were getting ready to leave for a date.

"Are you sure this isn't a problem?" Rupert asked.

Buffy snapped back at him. "I'm almost fifteen years old. I can handle watching my sister alone for a few hours."

Joyce kissed Dawn before looking at Buffy. "We won't be out too late. Dawnie, be good for your sister, all right?"

"Yep, by mommy, by daddy," she said as she hugged and kissed both Joyce and Rupert as they left.

"What will it be tonight? Do you want Aladdin or Lady in the Tramp?"

Dawn shook her head. "Neither. I want Marry Poppins."

Buffy rolled her eyes. She hated the once loved movie from her childhood. "Fine, let me put it in."

She waited until Dawn was completely engrossed in the movie to get up. Buffy quietly climbed the stairs and walked into her mother's room. She knew where all the important documents were kept. She looked through the envelope. There was no sign of what she was looking for. Finally, she looked in her mother's checkbook and found it. There in Buffy's hands she held it. There in Buffy's hands she held a check from Hank Summers. It was his child support check. Buffy didn't care so much about the amount of the check as she did the address and phone number on the check. He was still living in LA. She quickly copied the number down and put the checkbook back where her mother had it.

"What are you doing Buffy? I thought you were going to watch the movie with me?" Dawn asked.

"I have to make a phone call."

"To who?" Dawn asked as she looked at the number.

"I can't tell you. You will tell mom and Rupert."

"You mean mom and dad." Dawn corrected her sister.

"Nope, I meant mom and Rupert. Now go and watch your movie. I'll be down in a little bit."

"No, I want to know who you are calling."

"Dawn, no, go downstairs now please."

"Fine," Dawn wasn't going to argue with Buffy. She knew she wouldn't win this battle.

Buffy waited until she heard Dawn reach downstairs to pick up the phone. She dialed Hank's number and hung up before the phone rang. She didn't know what she would say. Finally, she dialed the number again for the final time.

"Hello," a woman's voice answered the phone.

Buffy paused for a moment. The woman repeated herself before Buffy could say anything. "Can I speak to Hank please?"

"On minute please," the woman said. Buffy could hear the woman mumbling something and then a child cry. She was so nervous that she began to sweat.

"Hello, this is Hank." He sighed. There was silence. "Hello?"

"H-hi. Dad, this is Buffy." She said with tears in her eyes.

Silence filled the phone line again. Neither one of them said anything for almost a full minute. "Did your mother have you call me?"

"N-no, she-" she was interrupted.

"Does she want more money? I am doing the best I can. I am sending more than enough money to here. I am not sending her more money. I-," this time Buffy did the interrupting.

"Mom doesn't know I called you. I called you because I miss you." Buffy began to cry.

Hank sighed. He didn't know what to say. "Buffy, please don't make this any harder than it already is."

"What are you talking about? Is this about us moving? We don't live that far from LA. I could visit you."

"Buffy, no, that isn't what I meant. Please don't call again."

Buffy felt as if she was hit with a brick. "What? What do you mean?"

"I left because I didn't want anything to do with your mother or you or your sister. I wanted to start a new life." Hank paused as his youngest daughter was yelling daddy on his side of the receiver.

"How can you say that?" Buffy began to cry.

"Buffy, it's simple. I don't love your mother and I don't love you and your sister. For God's sake, I don't even remember her name. I haven't seen you two for over six years. Why would I see you know?"

"You can't mean that?" She questioned him.

"Of course I mean that. I can not wait until your sister turns eighteen so I don't have to pay for children I never wanted. Now, is there anything else?"

Buffy couldn't speak. She just hung up the phone. She hurt from her head to her toes. She had never had anyone be so rude to her before.

"Buffy, who was that mean man you were talking to?" Dawn asked with tears in her eyes too.

Buffy wiped her eyes and tried to regain her composure. "Where you listening to my conversation?"

Dawn nodded as she walked over to Buffy. "You are sad Buffy, what happened?"

Buffy started crying again. She wrapped her arms around Dawn. "That was a very, very horrible man."

"Was that our first dad?"

"Yes."

"He doesn't even remember me. He was really mean to you. He shouldn't have been."

Buffy looked at Dawn as she continued. "It's ok, he is just a mean man, like the grinch. We don't need him, we have a nicer dad."

Buffy tried to smile as her younger sister held her. Buffy began to cry. All of her dreams were shattered with just one five-minute phone call.