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Sunnydale, California.
September 14, 1998
After
summer break was over and his high school senior year was about to
start, Xander Harris came home.
The
young man had been very busy, working and learning all he could at
summer school. Willow would have been stunned to learn he’d voluntarily
hit the books, but since Xander had refused to answer any of her
correspondence or phone calls, there was no chance of that
happening.
As he
settled back into his house located at 17619 White Oak Drive, the male
teen had no way to know that Buffy had been re-admitted into the high
school, after Giles and the Council had started throwing their weight
around with Principal Snyder and the school board.
Or
that Buffy’s mother Joyce had eventually accepted the whole “Chosen One”
deal after Buffy and Giles had had a very long talk with her about it,
and the blonde teenager was living at home again.
And
even if he had known, it was very likely that Xander wouldn’t have
cared, one way or the other.
The
first day of school, the former high school class clown went up to Giles
and told him he was officially resigning from the Slayerettes, as of
that moment. “What? Why?” asked the librarian in confusion.
The
boy shrugged, remembering Angel’s words about the truth the night the
vampire had saved him. “Because I don’t see any point in risking my life
for Buffy anymore,” he said with blunt honesty. Then with nothing more
to say, Xander just left.
Rupert
Giles swiftly gathered the gang together, and told them the situation.
“I must say, this – this has me completely flummoxed,” the British man
said in consternation. He looked at his Slayer, “Why – why would Xander
do and say something like this?”
Buffy
was completely in the dark. “I don’t know...”
Cordelia looked like she suddenly understood. “Oh! I betcha he’s still
pissed about that night, three months ago...”
The
Watcher didn’t have a clue what that meant, and needed the full
backstory. Then he looked at the Chosen One, “You, you just left him
there on the sidewalk after a vampire attacked him?” he said in
disbelief.
The
Slayer fidgeted slightly. “We went back! But he was gone by the time I-”
Giles
exploded, “Good Lord – you were expecting that he’d just stick around?
I bloody well wouldn’t have, in his shoes! Now I understand why
he left town so suddenly that day...Buffy, for heaven’s sake, please get
this mess straightened out – talk to Mr. Harris...”
~~~~~~
Later
that lunchtime, the three girls cornered the man in question. “Xander,
we need to talk...” Willow started to say.
“No we
don’t,” Xander replied rudely, as he attempted to leave.
Buffy
grabbed him by the arm, “Hey, wait up-”
Xander
yanked his arm away; eyes glittering, he stared at the blonde girl, and
Buffy was shocked at the hatred in his expression. “Listen up, Slayer –
I’m not one of your groupies anymore. If you ever touch me again
without my permission, I swear you’ll regret it...” he threatened her
much like he’d once threatened Angelus in the hospital.
Miss
Summers was stunned, and Cordelia Chase couldn’t believe her ex was
acting like this. She quickly said in her own tactless way, “Xander,
what is your problem? God, will you just stop acting like a complete
jerk?!”
The
young man just gave her a momentary glance, filled with contempt.
“Cordelia. Why are you even here, amongst us peons? Shouldn’t you be
with Harmony and the rest of your sheep, discussing what shoes are in
fashion now or whatever?”
Ignoring Cordy’s offended look, Xander then turned to Willow. “Let’s get
something straight right now, Wills. Buffy and me quit being friends,
the moment she did what she did with the vamp that night – and you chose
following Buffy over helping me, because you were pissed over what had
happened with Deadboy? Well, in my book, that equals friendship’s over.
End of discussion...” he started to walk away again.
Willow
was now getting upset, she didn’t want to leave things like this.
“Xander, about that night – look, I-I can understand you getting
upset...”
The
male teenager stopped dead in his tracks. “Upset? Upset? Why should I be
upset?”
He
turned around and tore part of his shirt away, to reveal the scars on
his neck and shoulder – and the three Scooby women gasped as one. “Okay,
maybe 'cause of this...”
Cordelia said in amazement, “How the hell did that happen?”
Xander
simply looked at her, not believing his ex-girlfriend had just said
that. “What in God’s name do you think, airhead? Another vampire
attacked me, less than ten seconds after you all left! But oh, that’s
not the worst part. You wanna know what haunts me at nights? It’s the
fact that I owe my life to Angel, of all people!”
“Huh-?” Buffy started to ask.
Xander
looked pissed, “Who’d ya think saved my ass, after you left me there to
die?”
The
Slayer grew angry at that. “I did not-”
Her
former friend cut her off, “Look, I don’t wanna hear it, because I don’t
care anymore! Just stay away from me, all three of you. If there’s an
‘end-of-the-world’ thing coming, have Oz, Giles, or...” he briefly
closed his eyes, “...God help me, even Angel get in touch. But for
anything else, I’m not interested!” Then he simply left, before any of
the girls could think of anything else to say.
~~~~~~
The
next few months passed quickly. True to his word, Xander Harris stayed
away from the Slayage, despite the efforts of Giles and Willow’s
boyfriend Oz to talk him around.
The
new Slayer Faith arrived in town, and quickly integrated herself into
the gang – after they helped her kill the ancient vampire called
Kakistos, who was out gunning for her. As a favor to Giles, Faith also
had a talk with Xander – but even she failed to convince him to start
helping out again, despite the young man’s almost-instant sexual
attraction and lust.
Mr.
Harris had decided enough was enough; that he would try to have as
normal a life as possible, and let the Slayers worry about the things
that went bump in the night.
To
that end, Xander rejoined the swim team and his grades improved
drastically – thanks to the summer tutoring and his uninterrupted focus
on his studies. Soon, the high school senior had ditched the status of
‘loser geek’; and even the group of girls known as the Cordettes started
to seriously check him out as date-worthy material.
Well,
not in the presence of Cordelia herself of course, who had developed an
intense public loathing for Xander – because of what he’d said and done
to the one and only Queen C.
Granted, the brunette girl sometimes wondered if she’d been a bit too
hasty in her decision to dump her boyfriend at the end of their junior
year, as she watched Xander’s popularity increase somewhat. But her
pride wouldn’t allow Cordy any attempt at reconciliation.
Which
was probably just as well, really, as the manipulations of the First
Evil were soon about to make her lose any chance to ever get Xander
Harris back again.
Chapter 5