The Courtship of Buffy Summers

Today is the big day. Excitement and anticipation are both in the air and everyone is feeling it. Today is the day that Sunnydale High gradates another class of promising young adults. That’s right it’s the end of the senior year. Final report cards are in the mail, most of the kids have heard back from the colleges they applied to, and everyone can’t wait to get out of Sunnydale for the summer.


Things are especially crazy over at the Summers residence. Buffy’s mom is busy running around looking for all of the disposable cameras she bought in preparation for the big day. Dawn is excited talking about how great it’s going to be to have Buffy out of the house. The two are chatting away without a care in the world, while the graduate sits outside, on the bench in the backyard already dressed in her cap and gown.


‘God, I love her lips, and her tongue. That’s a good feature too,’ Buffy thinks and kisses Faith a little deeper. The brunette showed up fifteen minutes ago because Buffy called saying she had some big news. But so far all they’ve done is kiss. As soon as Faith sat down next to her Buffy leaned over and kissed her so deeply Faith thought she was being consumed. Not that it’s a problem with her.


“Ok…” Buffy says in between kisses. “I have some…” She kisses Faith again and the space between words is a lot longer. “Big news to tell you…..” The brunette isn’t listening to her. Sure she heard what she said, but she isn’t going to stop. Kissing Buffy feels too good, and she has a feeling that Buffy’s news isn’t going to be good for her.


“Faith stop,” she says sounding a little breathless. She pulls away from Faith and scoots over so her lips are out of kissing range. “This is big and I want to tell you before I tell anyone else.” She gets an anxious smile on her face and reaches behind her. Hidden behind the large gown of polyester is a large white envelope. Buffy pulls it out and hands it to Faith. “Open it.” It’s already been opened, Faith can tell. And from how worn out the little flap looks she’d guess it’s been opened a lot.


She does as Buffy asks and opens up the large envelope. The first piece of paper that she pulls out is a letter. From the looks of it it’s been handled a lot. Folded many different times, and Faith is speechless. All she can do is read what the letter says. ‘Dear Ms. Summer, Congratulations on your admission to Northwestern University! Announcing the good news to a candidate is the absolute best part of my job, and it gives me a great pleasure to send you this letter.’ She doesn’t bother reading the rest. She puts it back and looks at Buffy with an awestruck look on her face.


“You got in?” she asks and Buffy nods her head. “Oh my God.” Buff isn’t sure if Faith sounds happy or a little disappointed. “I’m so proud of you.” And before Buffy knows what’s happening Faith leans forward and kisses her. Their tongues instantly come out to play and Buffy moans deeply into Faith’s mouth. ‘She didn’t ask me if I’m going or not. So does she think I’m going, or does she think I’m going to stay here with her?’ Buffy ends the kiss and leans her forehead against the brunette’s.


“Baby, there’s something we need to talk about,” she says and she looks a little nervous. Faith doesn’t look too happy about. “It’s just we really-”


“Buffy! Faith! Come on it’s time to go!” they hear Joyce yell from the back door. Both girls get up and walk towards the house. Buffy makes sure to hide the large white envelope so her mother won’t see it. She’s going to announce the news tonight at the dinner celebration Joyce is throwing for Buffy. Faith can’t be there because Judy and Bill are taking her out for her own celebratory dinner, which is why Buffy wanted to tell her first. When Buffy walks through the kitchen she hides the envelope in a drawer and they all hop in Joyce’s car and make their way to Sunnydale High.


Buffy is amazed at how many students there are wearing the maroon polyester. She had no idea there were this many people in her class. ‘Oh well, I guess it doesn’t really matter,’ she thinks and looks over at her two friends and girlfriend. ‘Because these three are the only ones who really matter to me.’ She squeezes Faith’s hand a little and smiles when the brunette squeezes back. Half of the students are shoved in this tiny classroom, waiting to be called out so they can walk down the isle and take their seats. Buffy can’t wait, she’s so damn excited.


“May we have the students out here,” Principal Snyder says into the microphone. Buffy frowns a little because she has to let go of Faith’s hand. She gives her one last little smile before she goes back to her spot in line. She walks with the rest of the students out of the room, up the stairs and then down the center of the two groups of chairs. She takes her spot and watches as Faith walks passed her to take her seat more towards the front.


Everybody sits through the boring speech that the mayor gives, and Buffy has to force herself not to fall asleep. All she can really do is look towards the front, at the back of Faith’s head as she thinks about all of things that have been bothering her since she had that little chat with her mother back in April. ‘What do we do now? I got into Northwestern University, that’s huge. And it’s a great opportunity for me to really be something. But does that mean I have to break up with Faith?’


‘Just because we’ll be living in two different parts of the country it doesn’t mean we can’t see each other. We can talk on the phone all the time, and writer letters, and send pictures. Especially naughty nude ones. But can we last as a couple? If I leave and she stays here does that mean we’re doomed? Lon distance relationships never work. At least that’s what the episode of yesterday’s Maury was.’


“Larry Andrew Blaisdell,” she hears Principal Snyder say into the microphone. ‘Crap I need to pay attention or the people to my left are going to be mad,’ she thinks and watches as all of the people from the first row are up there getting their diplomas. Some of them are giving shout outs to their friends and family, but not a lot of them are saying anything. Buffy watches with a little anticipation until Faith’s row is finally up there. She watches her girlfriend of two years waiting in line and looking a little bored. ‘Leave it up to Faith to be bored at her high school graduation.’


“Faith Isabelle Lehane.” ‘I didn’t know her middle name was Isabelle. Oh my God I’m going to give her so much shit about this,’ she thinks and smiles with so much pride as she watches Faith walk across the stage, shake the hand of the principal, get handed her diploma, and shake the hand of the mayor. ‘Aw, she isn’t going to give a speech?’ But then Faith stops walking and turns back to the crowd and she looks into Buffy’s eyes and she smiles. ‘Oh, I guess she is.’ Faith taps the microphone a couple times and gives a very nervous laugh.


“I’m no good at these things so just be patient,” she says and Buffy can tell just by that tiny little almost nonexistent tremor in her voice that Faith is very nervous. “First I’d like to think my foster parents for giving me a safe place to live, and raising me up right. I don’t know where I’d be if it weren’t for you.” Buffy hears some heckler in the crowd yell out ‘prison!’ and she instantly wants to know who it is so she can hurt him. But Faith just shrugs the comment off.


“You’re probably right. Who I really want to dedicate this diploma to is my beautiful, smart, funny, larger then life girlfriend. She’s put up with me for the last two years and I just want to say ‘Buffy, I love you’.” Buffy has tears running down her cheeks as she looks so deeply into Faith’s brown eyes. Faith then leaves the stage and the next person is called but Buffy isn’t paying attention anymore. She’s too busy staring at the back of Faith’s head as she thinks about how soon she can get her girlfriend alone.


The rest of the ceremony flies for the blonde. She tired to make a speech but she was too overwhelmed that all she got out where a few vowel sounds then she had to keep walking. But now the ceremony is over. Everyone is getting ready to go out to dinner, or go home, or to the big party at Cordelia’s house. But right now Buffy is pressed up against a wall, her arms are wrapped around Faith’s back, and they’re in a very heated make out session. ‘I want her to come with me,’ she thinks and sucks on Faith’s tongue. ‘I don’t want to be away from her for a second.’


“Ok girls,” they hear someone say from behind them. Faith pulls back and Buffy looks over her shoulder. ‘Great, they sent him,’ she thinks and pushes Faith away. They’ve been caught making out my Bill before and it didn’t end too well. He’s very intimidating when he wants to be. He doesn’t scare Faith at all because she has that bulldog mentally just like him, but Buffy is more like a cowardly Labrador. ‘Make love, not war that’s my philosophy.’ “Faith come on, we gotta go.” Then he walks off.


“I love you,” Faith says and kisses Buffy again. Buffy says it back and hugs her tightly. “I’ll sneak into your room tonight, ok?” Buffy smiles very widely and gives Faith a little kiss on the lips.


“Ah, Faith, you’re forgetting the new rule. I am eighteen now, and you my underage girlfriend can keep me out as late as you want and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.” Buffy kisses her one last time before she gently pushes Faith back and walks over to where her mom and Dawn are waiting. “Alright guys, let’s go. What are we waiting around for?” Dawn rolls her eyes and Joyce just smiles.


“Waiting for you to finish sucking face with your girlfriend,” Dawn says. She isn’t mean out it, she doesn’t sound mad. That was said very matter of factly. Buffy just rolls her eyes and they get into the car and buckle up.


“One day little sister, you are going to be too busy sucking face with someone to remember what you’re supposed to be doing.” Dawn just rolls her eyes but she has this look on her face that Buffy can’t quite place. ‘When did my little sister grow up?’ she thinks and watches Dawn through the mirror. ‘She’s twelve years old already. Soon she won’t want to do anything but hang out with her friends and boyfriend. She’s going to be like me. I don’t want her to be exactly like me.’


Buffy watches the scenery go by as they drive towards the restaurant. Apparently a bunch of her family from out of town is here for the dinner. They weren’t able to go to the graduation because they couldn’t make it on time and all of the other seats were already sold for the other kids who have larger families. But Buffy doesn’t mind too much. She just wishes her dad had been there to see her graduate. He may be a deadbeat, but she wants him to be at all of the really important stuff.


‘Let’s see the important stuff: high school graduation, college graduation if I decide to go, my wedding, and when my children are born. Yep, just those things and he couldn’t even be at this one.’ It’s not like she didn’t try to reach out. She sent him an invitation, and she left fifteen messages on his answering machine reminding him of the date, the time, and she gave him directions. But alas it was just another disappointment.


She sighs when Joyce pulls into the parking lot of the restaurant. She unbuckles her seat belt and the three Summers’ women get out of the car. They walk in through the front doors and are a little surprised to see that all of their family members are already here. She hugs them and says hello and thanks them for coming. All of them fuss over her like she’s a princess or something. ‘Ok, I can do this,’ she thinks when everyone is seated around the table. She picks up her glass of water and gently taps it with her fork.


“Everyone, if you could quiet down, please,” she says and stands up from her seat. Everyone looks over at her and she feels like a deer caught in some headlights. ‘This would be so much easier if Faith were here to give me some of that strength she always has.’ She clears her throat and takes a look around at all the different people. “I just wanted to announce that last week I got something in the mail, and I wanted it to be a surprise.” She looks at her mother as she says this. “I got into Northwestern.” Everyone freezes and at first Buffy isn’t sure what to think. But then everyone starts clapping and congratulating her and even though she’s happy she would be so much happier if Faith were here too.