Summer Confessions
by Casandra
Chapter 3
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"So girls, you're sure you have everything you need?"
Mrs. Summers was in full parental mode at the moment. I don't know if she was worried that we would get into trouble by ourselves out in Malibu, or she just missed Buffy this past year and didn't really want her to go. I had a feeling it was the latter, because even if Joyce thinks Buffy isn't the most responsible person in the world, she knows that I wouldn't let anything get out of control. No, no, that's not an ego. I just know that Mrs. Summers trusts me. During the summer that Buffy was gone I spent quite a lot of time with Joyce. I don't know if being with her made me somehow feel closer to Buffy, or if I just felt a duty to my best friend to watch out for her mother until she came back. But in any case, Joyce and I had more than one heart to heart, most of the time it focused around our relationships with Buffy. I used to try and get her to forgive herself for what happened and not hang onto the guilt that was eating away at her. It was horrible seeing her like that, so broken and hollow because of her fight with Buffy. I could relate too, because I had similar feelings. Not because of a fight with my best friend, but her mere absence from my life was making me feel all kinds of depressed.
Joyce in return for my support and I guess just my general company, repeatedly kept telling me how thankful she was that I was in Buffy's life. She told me that before Buffy met me that she was a somewhat selfish, self absorbed person. But I helped make her a sweeter, kinder human being. I tried to dissuade Mrs. Summers, because it's very hard for me to believe Buffy as being anything other than the incredible, caring, loving girl that I know. Besides the fact, that even if Joyce was right, I seriously doubt that her change in personality had anything to do with me. Being the Slayer, having all that responsibility, was definitely the more likely candidate. But she wouldn't budge, insisting that I was what kept Buffy grounded. And that on more than one occasion Buffy would talk to her about me, and how lucky she was to have met me.
And you would think that information would have warmed my heart to the core. But it only made me miss Buffy more. Made the cut in my soul feel deeper. Because it just made me love her all the more, knowing that she really did value our friendship so much.
"Yeah Mom, we're all packed. By the way, thanks for finding my duffel bag. Where was it anyway?" Buffy peers curiously up at her mother, simultaneously trying to zipper up the last bag of her luggage. I don't know how in the world we're gonna fit all this stuff into the trunk of the car I rented. Buffy has 6 bags, plus the 3 of my own. A Mustang trunk only holds so much. I guess I should have known Buffy would over pack. Last summer we went out to the beach for the day, and she had two bags just for that. I guess the idea of us cruising down the Pacific Coast Highway in a convertible over rode my practicality.
"It was up in the attic actually." Mrs. Summers is shifting from foot to foot. Which is rather odd, because she only does that when she's nervous about something.
"What was it doing up there? The last time I saw it was right under the foot of my bed." Buffy doesn't seem to pick up on her mother's strange behavior, she just sounds confused.
"Well remember when the Gallery was doing inventory and I brought some of the things home and stored them in your room?" Buffy blandly nods her head, picking up one of the heavier bags and carrying it to the door in the process. "Well I took some of your stuff up into the attic so it wouldn't get all messed up. I thought I had brought everything back down, but I guess not." Joyce casts a curious glance in my direction and then continues. "Did you go through it and make sure everything was still in it?"
"There wasn't anything in it to go through, Mom." By this time Buffy has all but one of her 6 bags at the front door. Joyce gives her daughter a curious look, but then an almost smug knowing one replaces it. This conversation is getting stranger by the minute.
"If you say so Buffy." Now the smug smile has turned into a genuine one, leaving me completely baffled.
"Will, I'm gonna take these out to the car a while. You've got everything else all ready and packed to go right?"
"Yep, we're all set. Although I'm thinking one of those bags of yours is gonna have to go in the backseat instead of the trunk." I smirked at her, making her glare at me in the process, before tossing the keys at her. "Come on, hurry up slowpoke, we want to beat the rush hour traffic." We had decided to leave in the afternoon for who knows what reason. I think Buffy just wanted to sleep in actually. I didn't mind though. I kept picturing driving down the coast just as the sun was setting over the ocean. With Buffy sitting right next to me, her golden hair blowing in the sea breeze. I turned around to say goodbye to Mrs. Summers but before I could she grasped me up in a tight hug.
"You take care of my little girl Willow."
"I will Mrs. Summers. We take good care of each other, so don't worry." It was nice, being wrapped up in a maternal hug. I can't remember the last time my own mother hugged me, if ever actually.
"And remember to have fun. You and Buffy need to reconnect on this trip, remember how much you both mean to each other." Before I had a chance to contemplate and question her comment Buffy came bouncing back through the front door.
"Ready to motor Will?"
"Yep, lets go." I gave Mrs. Summers one last curious look before joining Buffy in the doorway. Mrs. Summers followed and grabbed her up in a warm hug as well before forcibly pushing us out the door, telling us to have a good time, and more importantly, to behave ourselves.
Buffy and I hopped into the car, and surprisingly enough I didn't have to fight her for the driving privileges. That was one less thing for me to worry about. As much as I love Buffy, driving is not one of her finer skills.
"So, ready to start the fun or what?" Buffy cast me the sweetest smile as she slid on her sunglasses.
"Definitely." Yep, I was definitely ready to start the weeklong Buffy goodness.