Changing Lives by Mabel Marsters

1 :: 2 :: 3 :: 4 :: 5 :: 6 :: 7 :: 8 :: 9 :: 10 :: 11 :: 12 :: 13 :: 14 :: 15 :: 16 :: 17 :: 18 :: 19 :: 20 :: 21 :: 22 :: 23 :: 24 :: 25 :: 26 :: 27 :: 28 :: 29 :: 30 :: 31 :: 32 :: 33 :: 34 :: 35 :: 36 :: 37 :: 38 :: 39 :: 40 :: 41 :: 42 :: 43 :: 44 :: 45 :: 46 :: 47 :: 48 :: 49 :: 50 :: 51 :: 52 :: 53 :: 54 :: 55 :: 56 :: 57 :: 58 :: 59 :: 60 ::

Chapter 3

William quietly let himself out of the house and made his way to school, glad his hair was long enough to at least partially hide the black eye that had emerged over night.

“Only four more days and I’ll be on a plane to England” he thought as he walked, kicking a pebble along in front of him.

He’d just got to the school gates when a voice rang out.

“Hey, William.”

He stopped and turned around. He’d recognised the voice immediately but still couldn’t believe he’d heard right. But he had, Buffy was running up the steps to catch up with him. She was wearing a light blue sweater over a short navy skirt. She looked beautiful. He felt himself start to blush and dropped his gaze.

“Hi, Buffy.” His voice sounded a little odd.

“Where were you yesterday?” she asked as she got to him.

“Um, I was….er…..ill.” he stuttered, never having been good at lying.

“Oh, well, I’m glad you’re feeling better.” replied Buffy brightly.

William couldn’t help but look at her in astonishment when she said that. Why would she care? He saw her smile fade as she noticed the black eye. He ducked his head and increased his pace a little. She kept stride with him easily, then put a hand on his arm and stopped him.

“What happened to your eye? It wasn’t Angel, was it?”

Looking at his shoes, he hesitated for a moment.

“No, it wasn’t Angel, I just….er….walked into a cupboard door.” he said. It sounded like a complete lie even to his own ears.

Buffy believed that it hadn’t been Angel, but the door thing, I mean, how lame was that? To William’s relief the bell rang for class. He turned to go and again a small hand was put on his arm. He turned back to look at her.

“I’ve got to go. I don’t want to be late on top of missing yesterday.”

Buffy smiled. Now that was pure ‘William’.

“Will you have lunch with us?” she asked.

“What? Is this ‘cause of Monday ‘cause I don’t…….”

“It’s just an invite, William,” huffed Buffy, cutting him off, “Take it or leave it.” she turned and walked away.

A quick glance back showed he was still standing there looking after her. She was grinning as she met up with Willow to go to class. He was sure to show. He might be a bit beat down but his pride hadn’t liked the thought it might be sympathy so that’s why she’d just walked away acting like she didn’t care less. Oh yes, he’d show for sure.

“What’s with the huge smile?” asked Willow.

“William’s going to meet up with us for lunch.” said Buffy, “How was Oz’s practice session?”

“It was great! They’re playing The Bronze on Friday, it’ll be great.” replied Willow and she launched into a note by note account of every song.

Oooooo

William paused before he pushed open the door into the cafeteria. He took a deep breath and walked in.

“If she’s not here, I’ll just get my food and go back outside.”

He quickly made his choices, glancing around the room as he paid. He spotted Buffy right away - one advantage of having a very colourful friend. Willow dressed today in a startling combination of pinks and purples.

“She must have been looking out for me.” he thought as Buffy caught his eye and waved. He started towards her, not noticing Angel approaching from the right.

“Nice shiner.” He sneered as he got to William.

William’s heart fell to his boots.

“Not again, not twice in a week.”

“Hey, pal, hurry up, I’m starving.” said Xander from behind him, putting a hand on his shoulder and pushing him forwards, “Look, they’ve saved our seats.”

Xander walked between William and Angel, glaring at the quarterback as he did. Angel glanced at Buffy, Willow and Oz at the table.

“Whatever.” He stalked off.

Everyone pretended not to notice how William’s hands shook a little as he put his tray on the table.

“William, glad you made it.” said Buffy, with a smile that lifted his heart back up to where it should be.

“Um…thanks for asking me.” he said, shyly, “Hi.” He added, looking at the others.

He got a chorus of ‘hi’s’ in return. He slowly stated to relax, listening to the others chattering away.

“You’ll come too, won’t you, William?” asked Willow. where?”

“To The Bronze on Friday night. Oz’s band is playing.” said Willow, proudly.

“Um.”

“Come on,” said Xander, “It’ll be fun.”

“We’re all going,” added Buffy, “Oz’ll be hurt if you don’t go, won’t you?”

“Hurt, sure.” said Oz.

“Uh, ok, as long as you don’t mind?” said William.

“Wouldn’t ask if we didn’t want ya to come along.” said Willow, smiling at him.

“Thanks, then, I’d like to come.” He smiled back.

Buffy thought how good he looked when he smiled.

“Have to make him do it more often.”

As they all got up at the end of lunch, Buffy asked William if he’d like to study together that night.

“I can come to your house, my mom won’t mind.” she said, crossing her fingers as she intended to get Willow to cover for her saying she was at her house.

“No!” it was almost a shout.

Buffy stared at him. She could see him withdrawing into himself as she watched.

“No.” he repeated, “Can’t, sorry.” And he scurried out of the room.

“What did you say to him?” asked Willow

“Just if I could study with him tonight. I said I’d go to his house.”

The girls looked at each other, both thinking the same thought - that perhaps his home life reflected his school one, cupboard doors aside.

Oooooo

William walked home from school lost in his thoughts. He’d enjoyed meeting the others for lunch. They’d all seemed nice but he was still a bit puzzled as to why Buffy had asked him. He hoped she’d ask again tomorrow, and that rushing off like he had hadn’t put her off. He was grateful to Xander for preventing Angel from having another pop at him.

He unlocked the door and went inside. The TV was blaring. He walked into the lounge room and saw his mother asleep on the couch, half empty bottle by her side. He turned the TV down, looked down at his mom for a moment, wishing he could help her, then walked to his room.

There was a sharp rap at the door. He looked at it as if trying to see the person outside without having to first open it. He hoped his mom didn’t owe anybody any money. The rapping was repeated a little more loudly.

He went to the door and opened it. His eyes widened when he saw that it was Buffy. Then he blushed deep crimson, stepped onto the porch and pulled the door shut so she couldn’t see how untidy the house was.

“What are you doing here?”

“Ok, Willow, so you were right, not good idea to follow him home.”

“Just could really use some help with my history assignment.” she said.

He glanced around the garden, seeing it as if for the first time. There was no getting away from it; the place was a dump. He bet her home was better kept than this- way better kept. As he hesitated to reply, Buffy felt terrible that she’d come like this.

“Sorry, William, it was rude of me to follow you. I’ll see you tomorrow, ok?” She turned, walked down the porch steps and was nearly at the sidewalk before he spoke.

“Wait.”

She stopped and turned to look at him. He fidgeted a bit, glanced over his shoulder at the door, then said,

“Um, it’s ok, you can come in.”

“Are you sure?” asked Buffy, still feeling bad at putting him in this position.

“Yeah, as long as….um….you don’t mind being in my room?”

“No, I don’t mind that.” she replied with a smile he couldn’t help but return.

He opened the door and tried to block her view of the house as much as possible as he led her to his room. He didn’t look at her until he closed his bedroom door once they were inside, so he missed her eyes widen at the state of his home. It was untidy and dirty, with the furnishings well worn. But what she couldn’t miss seeing was the empty liquor bottles strewn upon seemingly every surface.

His bedroom, however, was spotlessly clean, even though everything was old and shabby. There wasn’t a thing out of place. Even the pens on his desk were in a straight line. She soon noticed the absence of computer, music system and TV - all the usual teenage requirements. By the look of the house it was unlikely they were just in another room.

“Wow, so you like books, then?” said Buffy, stating the obvious while pointing to the groaning shelves.

“Yeah, I do.” He gestured for her to sit on the bed and then he sat on the chair to his desk, turning it around so they were facing each other.

“So which is your favourite?”

William’s face clouded for a second before he replied.

“My all time favourite is Pride and Prejudice.” he said.

Buffy looked at him blankly.

“You haven’t heard of it?” he asked, incredulously.

“Erm, not big with the books, really.” said Buffy.

Shortly afterwards she was glad she’d not read it as he launched into a not so brief synopsis of it. He lost his usual nervy posture and became animated, his eyes bright and meeting hers instead of looking at the floor. She realised that she was now in the world in which he lived probably most of the time, somewhere where he could lose himself.

“William!” a voice called.

He stiffened, a look of panic passed through his eyes before he stood up.

“Um, it’s my mom…..er…..won’t be long.” He hurried out of the room, closing the door behind him.

“God, his mom nearly has him as nervous as Angel.” she thought, sadly.

William walked into the lounge.

“Hi, Mom.”

He relaxed a bit when he saw her. She wasn’t as drunk as the night before. She usually wasn’t after getting into a rage - her guilt at hurting him keeping her in check, for a few days at least.

“Did I hear you talking?” she asked.

“Er…yeah, Mom, just a girl from school, wanting to study with me.”

“A girl from school?” she smiled at him. This was a first.

He nodded, “Better get back, she can’t stay too long. It was ok, though, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, it’s ok, honey.”

“Thanks Mom.” he said as he returned to his room.

His mom watched him leave. She knew that part of the thanks were due to her not being too drunk. “He’s a good boy is my William. I’ve got to try to stop drinking so much.”

He went back into his room to find Buffy looking at his books on the shelves since there was nothing else to look at, really.

“Everything ok?” she asked, glancing at his black eye without knowing she had.

“She knows.”

He paused for a second.

“Um, yeah, it’s ok.” He flushed a bit and wouldn’t meet her gaze.

“You’re going to come to The Bronze on Friday, aren’t you? You’re not going to bail?”

He looked up.

“No, I’ll be there.”

“That’s good.” said Buffy, sitting back down on the bed and smiling as William once again sat on his chair and not beside her. “So, got any plans for the summer?”

The question seemed to stump him - he just looked at her.

“I haven’t.” Buffy mentioned, “My mom’s gallery is always busiest during summer vacation so I never get to go anywhere.”

“If I …er….tell you something, you won’t tell anyone, will you?” said William.

Intrigued, Buffy replied, “No, of course not.”

“I’m going to England.” he said.

“Wow! For the whole summer?” He nodded. “How cool is that?” Buffy said.

“I know, we’re going to stay with my mom’s twin sister and her family: Aunt Julia, Uncle Thomas and my cousin James, he’s the same age as me.

“You’ll have to send me a card.” said Buffy, “When do you go?”

“Saturday afternoon. We’ve got the tickets and everything, but you won’t tell, will you?”

“No, I won’t, but why not? I’d want to tell everybody.”

“I just don’t want to jinx it. I was supposed to go a few years ago but then didn’t.” said William

Buffy could guess the rest without him saying another word. She looked at her watch.

“I’d better go home. See you at school tomorrow?”

“Yes, you will.” He got to the door to the bedroom before her and politely opened it for her to go through. He then repeated the gesture with the front door and watched her walk out of sight before closing the door.

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