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tamingthemuseTitle:The Girl Next Door
Pairing: None, Willow gen
Prompt: #9 - Crazy Glue
Rating: Any age
Spoilers: Season One, BtVS
Warnings: None
Summary: After Buffy defeats the Master, the group heads to The Bronze and Willow thinks about her life as a Scoobie.
Author's Note: A special thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
velvetwhip for the read overs on this little fic. It means so much to me.
AN 2: Title taken from the Saving Jane song, Girl Next Door.
Willow walked at the back of the group as they moved toward The Bronze, determined to enjoy the prom. But somehow, Willow knew she wouldn't. Willow wasn’t exactly a prom kinda girl.
But Buffy was.
Just like right now. She died. Buffy had died fighting the Master, and still, soaking wet, she looked amazing. It just didn't seem fair.
Ever since Buffy had come to town, Willow seemed to be playing second fiddle. Not that she ever played first fiddle seeing as she didn't even know how to play a fiddle but that was completely beside the point. Willow never felt bad about her place in the hierarchy of Sunnydale High until she began to feel like second best.
How could she compare to someone so...perfect? Buffy was beautiful, blond and busty. Perfect skin and perfect hair with perfumed hearts everywhere. She was strong and fit and curvy in all the right places, not that Willow noticed that kind of thing. But Buffy was feminine and strong, two things that should have been at odds with each other, but together they made her amazing.
And Willow just felt ordinary. She was thin, nearly scrawny compared to the Slayer. She couldn't throw a punch or land a kick. All she could do was scream and run for cover.
Buffy could be popular, if she really wanted to. Cordelia had practically given the Slayer the green light the day the blond girl came to the school. Buffy could be a cheerleader, had been one until Amy's mom had put that crazy spell on her and the Slayer nearly killed another member of the squad.
But Willow would never be a cheerleader. She'd always be sitting in the stands.
Of course, Willow could do the research thing. It was the one thing that she could do that Buffy seemed to lack. Not that the Slayer was dumb, far from it. Willow just had the knack, the desire, the drive to find what they needed, that little bit of information that could save the day. But Willow knew Giles could do it, would do it if she wasn’t there.
Buffy had come to town like a whirlwind and turned Willow's world on its ear. The one person she thought would always be there for her, had promised her as much, now followed after the Slayer like a lost little puppy. It was as if Xander had been knocked on his head the moment he'd seen her and he had become entranced.
Willow had loved Xander as long as she could remember. He was her best friend, the only person she could tell anything to, the one person who knew her better than anyone else. She knew the exact moment she fell for him. Willow had been weeping in the middle of her kindergarten class with a piece of broken yellow crayon clutched in each trembling fist. She was sure this was the end of academic career. How could she graduate without being able to color? She'd never get to college with that glaring mark on her record.
Then Xander had appeared at her side. He handed her the perfect yellow crayon from his box. She took it with a tiny smile as he plucked the broken pieces from the table before wiping away her tears with the hem of his t-shirt. He'd then plopped himself down next to her and they'd been together ever since.
They were stuck together, Willow and Xander, one time literally. Willow, Jesse and Xander were playing freeze tag in her house because Willow's mom was worried out the hole in the ozone layer and was terrified that the young, pale girl would instantly develop skin cancer or something equally horrible if she were to so much as step outside. They were running around the plastic wrapped furniture, which was strictly forbidden, when Willow tripped and fell against the cabinet that held her mother's precious Hummel figurines. The three had watched in horror as one tipped precariously before tumbling to the floor.
As Willow cried in front of the little ceramic boy split in two, Xander found his way to help. After wiping the tears from the distressed girl's cheeks, he retrieved a small tube of Crazy Glue and together they began to return the porcelain back into a little boy. Unfortunately, their ten year old little fingers were clumsy and uncoordinated and they ended up with their fingers fused together with thick layer of the world's strongest glue.
Jesse had laughed at their predicament. He thought it was hilarious that his best friends were joined, as the box of glue proclaimed, permanently. They talked of being married and whose house they would live in since they couldn't be separated. Then Willow's mom came home and drove them to the emergency room.
She knew it had just been the ramblings of a frightened ten year old stuck to his best friend, but somehow, she always figured Xander's promise would come true. But now that Buffy was here, Xander barely seemed to notice her at all.
Buffy could even attract people that were supposed to hate her. Angel mooned after Buffy like she was, well, the moon. He was a vampire. She was a vampire slayer. They should have been at odds, but he loved her, cared for her. Anyone could see it in the way he looked at her. Willow wondered what it would be like to have someone look at her like that way, with his dark, soulful eyes and his brooding glances. She wondered how soft his lips were and if his skin was as soft and cool as it looked. Not that she'd ever thought about it before...at least not much.
But they all wanted Buffy. Buffy the beauty queen, the strong Slayer. Buffy who could easily be the prom queen or head cheerleader.
Buffy who was extraordinary, not Willow who was just a normal girl.
As they approached The Bronze and got ready to go inside, Xander turned and threw his arm over Willow's slim shoulders.
"Ready to go get your groove on?" her best friend asked.
"Yeah, Wills," Buffy asked as she sidled up to the other side, slipping her arm around Willow's small waist. "You've been quiet the whole way over here."
Willow turned and looked into Buffy's hazel eyes. She saw pain and strain, the stress of a calling the girl never asked for, never wanted. Buffy suddenly seemed older than her sixteen years.
"Just thinking," Willow whispered.
"About what?" Angel asked.
Willow smiled as she slipped out of her friend's grasp and pulled them by the hands toward the dance. "Just stuff. Now let's go and shimmy our blues away."
Willow sat at her quiet little table and watched as Buffy and Xander moved around the dance floor. They smiled and laughed but Willow noticed the joy never really reached the blond girl's eyes. It was then that Willow decided that maybe Buffy wasn't really happy, maybe the spotlight was a little too hot, maybe the burden was a little too heavy for her slim shoulders to bear.
Willow decided that she didn't want that spotlight, didn't need it. She was happy with her life even if it was in the shadow of the Slayer. She had her role to play and she would do it with pride.
She didn't have to the prom queen. She was happy to be seen as the girl next door.
~~~The End~~~
Pairing: None, Willow gen
Prompt: #9 - Crazy Glue
Rating: Any age
Spoilers: Season One, BtVS
Warnings: None
Summary: After Buffy defeats the Master, the group heads to The Bronze and Willow thinks about her life as a Scoobie.
Author's Note: A special thanks to
velvetwhip for the read overs on this little fic. It means so much to me. AN 2: Title taken from the Saving Jane song, Girl Next Door.
Willow walked at the back of the group as they moved toward The Bronze, determined to enjoy the prom. But somehow, Willow knew she wouldn't. Willow wasn’t exactly a prom kinda girl.
But Buffy was.
Just like right now. She died. Buffy had died fighting the Master, and still, soaking wet, she looked amazing. It just didn't seem fair.
Ever since Buffy had come to town, Willow seemed to be playing second fiddle. Not that she ever played first fiddle seeing as she didn't even know how to play a fiddle but that was completely beside the point. Willow never felt bad about her place in the hierarchy of Sunnydale High until she began to feel like second best.
How could she compare to someone so...perfect? Buffy was beautiful, blond and busty. Perfect skin and perfect hair with perfumed hearts everywhere. She was strong and fit and curvy in all the right places, not that Willow noticed that kind of thing. But Buffy was feminine and strong, two things that should have been at odds with each other, but together they made her amazing.
And Willow just felt ordinary. She was thin, nearly scrawny compared to the Slayer. She couldn't throw a punch or land a kick. All she could do was scream and run for cover.
Buffy could be popular, if she really wanted to. Cordelia had practically given the Slayer the green light the day the blond girl came to the school. Buffy could be a cheerleader, had been one until Amy's mom had put that crazy spell on her and the Slayer nearly killed another member of the squad.
But Willow would never be a cheerleader. She'd always be sitting in the stands.
Of course, Willow could do the research thing. It was the one thing that she could do that Buffy seemed to lack. Not that the Slayer was dumb, far from it. Willow just had the knack, the desire, the drive to find what they needed, that little bit of information that could save the day. But Willow knew Giles could do it, would do it if she wasn’t there.
Buffy had come to town like a whirlwind and turned Willow's world on its ear. The one person she thought would always be there for her, had promised her as much, now followed after the Slayer like a lost little puppy. It was as if Xander had been knocked on his head the moment he'd seen her and he had become entranced.
Willow had loved Xander as long as she could remember. He was her best friend, the only person she could tell anything to, the one person who knew her better than anyone else. She knew the exact moment she fell for him. Willow had been weeping in the middle of her kindergarten class with a piece of broken yellow crayon clutched in each trembling fist. She was sure this was the end of academic career. How could she graduate without being able to color? She'd never get to college with that glaring mark on her record.
Then Xander had appeared at her side. He handed her the perfect yellow crayon from his box. She took it with a tiny smile as he plucked the broken pieces from the table before wiping away her tears with the hem of his t-shirt. He'd then plopped himself down next to her and they'd been together ever since.
They were stuck together, Willow and Xander, one time literally. Willow, Jesse and Xander were playing freeze tag in her house because Willow's mom was worried out the hole in the ozone layer and was terrified that the young, pale girl would instantly develop skin cancer or something equally horrible if she were to so much as step outside. They were running around the plastic wrapped furniture, which was strictly forbidden, when Willow tripped and fell against the cabinet that held her mother's precious Hummel figurines. The three had watched in horror as one tipped precariously before tumbling to the floor.
As Willow cried in front of the little ceramic boy split in two, Xander found his way to help. After wiping the tears from the distressed girl's cheeks, he retrieved a small tube of Crazy Glue and together they began to return the porcelain back into a little boy. Unfortunately, their ten year old little fingers were clumsy and uncoordinated and they ended up with their fingers fused together with thick layer of the world's strongest glue.
Jesse had laughed at their predicament. He thought it was hilarious that his best friends were joined, as the box of glue proclaimed, permanently. They talked of being married and whose house they would live in since they couldn't be separated. Then Willow's mom came home and drove them to the emergency room.
She knew it had just been the ramblings of a frightened ten year old stuck to his best friend, but somehow, she always figured Xander's promise would come true. But now that Buffy was here, Xander barely seemed to notice her at all.
Buffy could even attract people that were supposed to hate her. Angel mooned after Buffy like she was, well, the moon. He was a vampire. She was a vampire slayer. They should have been at odds, but he loved her, cared for her. Anyone could see it in the way he looked at her. Willow wondered what it would be like to have someone look at her like that way, with his dark, soulful eyes and his brooding glances. She wondered how soft his lips were and if his skin was as soft and cool as it looked. Not that she'd ever thought about it before...at least not much.
But they all wanted Buffy. Buffy the beauty queen, the strong Slayer. Buffy who could easily be the prom queen or head cheerleader.
Buffy who was extraordinary, not Willow who was just a normal girl.
As they approached The Bronze and got ready to go inside, Xander turned and threw his arm over Willow's slim shoulders.
"Ready to go get your groove on?" her best friend asked.
"Yeah, Wills," Buffy asked as she sidled up to the other side, slipping her arm around Willow's small waist. "You've been quiet the whole way over here."
Willow turned and looked into Buffy's hazel eyes. She saw pain and strain, the stress of a calling the girl never asked for, never wanted. Buffy suddenly seemed older than her sixteen years.
"Just thinking," Willow whispered.
"About what?" Angel asked.
Willow smiled as she slipped out of her friend's grasp and pulled them by the hands toward the dance. "Just stuff. Now let's go and shimmy our blues away."
Willow sat at her quiet little table and watched as Buffy and Xander moved around the dance floor. They smiled and laughed but Willow noticed the joy never really reached the blond girl's eyes. It was then that Willow decided that maybe Buffy wasn't really happy, maybe the spotlight was a little too hot, maybe the burden was a little too heavy for her slim shoulders to bear.
Willow decided that she didn't want that spotlight, didn't need it. She was happy with her life even if it was in the shadow of the Slayer. She had her role to play and she would do it with pride.
She didn't have to the prom queen. She was happy to be seen as the girl next door.
~~~The End~~~
no subject
Date: 2006-09-09 09:05 pm (UTC)Gabrielle
no subject
Date: 2006-09-09 09:22 pm (UTC)*hugs*
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Date: 2006-09-09 09:25 pm (UTC)Not that I'm hinting...
Gabrielle
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Date: 2006-09-09 09:16 pm (UTC)Gabrielle
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Date: 2006-09-09 09:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-09 09:26 pm (UTC)Gabrielle
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Date: 2006-09-09 09:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-09 09:32 pm (UTC)http://nha.magical-worlds.us/
It's an efiction site, so posting is very easy. If you have any questions or problems, do not hesitate to email me! I will be more than happy to help you!
Gabrielle
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Date: 2006-09-09 09:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-10 04:02 am (UTC)So glad you liked. *hugs*
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Date: 2006-09-10 04:03 am (UTC)*hugs*
no subject
Date: 2006-09-10 02:51 pm (UTC)