Fic: Songs For A Mix Tape

[Willster]

You rock Sarah!!!



Every update is always lovely!



Our two girls are so made for each other.. i just hope they both admit it soon, because they are "the right person" ! they have same opinions about the same topics, this is just the perfect couple ever!



Thanks for this great story!



And did I mentioned i LOVE the soundtrack..! I think you'd enjoy yourself at one of my party..!



Caro

Edited by: Willster at: 9/8/03 8:08 am

[justin]

That was a great update.



It wasn't nice seeing Willow upset like that, but it was nice the way Tara was able to comfort her



The ending was very sweet, too



Looking forward to the next update

Anya in a wimple...I'd pay full admission for that. Gods Served And Abandoned - by Antigone Unbound

[littlecrazy80]

I loved the whole update!

Willow talking about Oz. And then the making out session. WOW



*lil´c*

Let´s get happy and let´s be gay. germany´s grand prix song



Check this out

[LadyBrymstone]

Great update, Sarah!



I loved how you went back and explained the nature of Willow and Oz's friendship/relationship. It puts things in a little bit better perspective and fleshes out Willow's background a bit more.



As for the bedroom antics, you had me going for a minute. I was thinking "surely she wouldn't already," and sure enough...you halted it at a good point with a good explanation.



As always, keep up the wonderful work and I look forward to the next update!

~LadyB~

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"I am just your ordinary...average, everyday, sane, psycho, super-Goddess." - Liz Phair, "Extraordinary"

[unionjill30]

I just wanted to drop a quick little note to say that I had apparently forgotten to add Track 13 to the track list for listening. I was sitting in my telecommunications class and day-dreaming and it just hit me. So it's up now. Sorry.



Sarah

I've got an electric guitar. I play my stupid songs. I write these stupid words, and I love every one. If I went back some place I know that life was perfect like a TV show then 1993 is where I’d go cause Galaga was my only fight and it was cool to ride my bike we’d sneak out to cough on cigarettes and break it down with old cassettes up in my room it felt so safe where Kurt and Billy never looked at me strange.

[visual fallacy]

Hey, I've not given feedback on this fic for ages... as I've mentioned before it contains my three favourite things... willow, tara and a female bass player... and as in this fic two of these are technically the same thing... I have to take another moment to say that I'm really really really enjoying reading this fic... I love the direction is gone in... and I always thought Oz had a dark side to him (that didnt involve a wolf!) no one can be that calm and quiet forever! hehe!



Keep up the amazing work!



Sally xxx

[Tibbs]

Well, this update slipped right by me. I was like all happy that a new chapter was up, then I realized it's been up for a few days now. How'd I miss it?



Anyhoo great update as always. Didn't see both of them being virgins. It's gonna make there comming together alot sweeter. ( Mind the pun, if you will )



Kudo's



Tibbs

[2DIAMONDS]

Hey Sarah!



I just caught up with this fic so this is my first post. Just wanted to add myself to the list of fans and also say how much I enjoyed the last two parts.



Can't wait for more!



Helen

xoxo

Edited by: 2DIAMONDS at: 9/10/03 7:06 am

[Ginner WTluv]

Just got all caught up with this fic after more computer problems, and i must say, this is definitley on my fav fics list I love how you write all of characters. Can't wait for the next update!!



~ Jen

I'd like to take a moment to talk about something that's happened lately. I'm also in love. It's a very special thing and I'm really rather proud of it. Yes, I'm in love with my own breasts. I feel no personal shame about this; in fact, I think this is the one. It's going to last. ~ Ruth



I feel like a piece of holly.... surrounded by pricks ~ Andy

[kbk3022]

Quote:

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They sat in silence for a moment while Willow cried and Tara rubbed circles above the redhead’s knee.

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I like this part. Not the Willow crying part, but the rubbing of the knee. That is a good part. It was at this point I wondered if anything else was gonna get rubbed in this update. I, however, love just the knee rubbing.

Quote:

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Tara looked up at Willow and smiled before the redhead leaned in and kissed her soundly on the lips. As Willow pulled away, Tara looked at her curiously. “What was that for?”



“Just cause,” Willow replied with a tiny grin as she leaned in for another small peck on Tara’s lips.

---

Okay, now this part I was kinda confused about. When Willow says, "Just cause," is that like "Just because"? Or, is that like I have "Just cause" to kiss you? I'm sorry, I just didn't get it and wanted to ask you to clarify that for me. Thanks.

Quote:

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“I was taking a college English course that was offered that summer at our high school..."

---

What?? Man, she's like a freakin' genius I tell ya.

Quote:

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The action earned a sudden gasp from the redhead, and Tara began tentatively testing different pressures and grasping techniques to see what other noises she could elicit from the other woman.

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Rofl. Love this sentence.

Quote:

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“Well if you count that totally three month stint I had with Jennifer the straight girl who wouldn’t let it be anything more than platonic and packed it up to head back to Boys Town, then sure, I’m an old pro.” There was a twinkle in Willow’s eyes that portrayed the fact that she was joking again. “Other than that, I’ve had one date each with two separate girls. Now who feels like she should be embarrassed?

---

I like what you did with this part right here. It sounds better, if ya know what I mean.

Quote:

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Willow immediately stood to find something for the blonde to sleep in. “Pants or shorts?” she asked while she pulled a t-shirt out of one drawer and went to open another.



“Pants,” Tara answered.

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Okay, is this supposed to have some kind of hidden meaning? I mean, pants? You know? It's like she says "pants." That could be like you know, who wears the pants? And Tara does. I see where you're going with this.. it's unusual but I'm gonna stick with it.

Quote:

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Tara released another yawn.



“Oh fun,” Willow managed before she yawned as well. “Stupid chain reaction yawning.”

---

Yeah, what's up with that? It's like when I see someone yawn, I do it too. Do you happen to know if there is a scientific explanation of the "chain reaction yawning"? If there is I'd love to hear it.





Overall, I'd say this update was good. It was fun to read, and fun for the whole family. I hope that um... you do the thing with the posting a new part soon. What's that called again? Updating! Yes, that's it. I hope you update soon. Like really soon... I just can't wait another minute. I need it now!



Kasey

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"What came first, the music or the misery?

People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over.

Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did

I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?"

[unionjill30]

Replies:



Washi – Dear Washi, I’m glad you’re loving this. I’m in the middle of a heated debate stemmed by your use of the word “kickass.” I’m on the side that says it’s two words while my friend believes it to be one. If we don’t kill each other, I’ll let you know the results of the debate.

Marilda – Very aww. Adorable is high on my priorities list.

reyjawk – I agree that it’s a good thing waiting for the “right” person. It makes thing special when you find them.

bluewillowwitch – The girls may be very attracted to each other, but they’re very strong willed I suppose.

shuyaku – You’re right. Real life doesn’t happen like that. When something happens, it’s best to just deal with it instead of faking your way through enjoying an evening. And the things that happened do kind of resemble past occurrences, but not too much I suppose.

sam darls – You’re welcome. Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading.

JustSkipIt – I didn’t want to just gloss over the occurrence with Oz because I thought it needed a little more explanation. Plus, it helps with getting to know Willow a bit more. It’s safe to say that going on past experience, what the two have going on right now is pretty special and getting pretty serious. You confused me a bit too with all the questioning in the edits. No, Willow wasn’t ready to throw her morals out the window. No, she wasn’t just going to fool around. Both women were sort of caught up in the moment not really realizing what they were actually getting ready to do. Tara came back into reality with Willow’s hand on her zipper and Willow came back into reality with Tara’s voice. Once they were conscious of what was happening, they put a stop to it. Does that answer the question?

sabina – Space was necessary for them considering what had just happened. That doesn’t mean snuggles in sleep aren’t a possibility .

Arwen276 – Yeah, contrary to popular belief, there are a lot of people out there who wait to have sex (not me cause I was young and skanky at one time but have since seen how stupid I was). Willow and Tara happen to be two of those people. I think it’s a really sweet thing when someone makes a conscious decision to hold off.

xita – Thanks for the positive words. It is all about the actual falling in love. I’m not sure they’re worried about finding a bad quality in the other person, but more of the other person finding a bad quality in them. Not so much with Willow, but really with Tara. She thinks she has stuff to be afraid of, but we all know she has nothing to worry about. Someone should tell her. You want to do it?

Willster – No, you rock. Yep, you’ve mentioned the love of the soundtrack, I think maybe. Okay, I really don’t know officially, but I think you have. I’ve actually gone on a mix CD binge and made a ton of them for a friend. They’re so much fun. It’s always a blast to find the perfect list of songs. Yes, I’m a dork.

justin – It’s never a good thing to see an upset Willow, but to see an upset Willow being comforted by Tara can be a good thing. Thanks for reading.

littlecrazy80 – Glad you loved the thing in its entirety. And for some reason, that WOW reminds me of the napkins at Applebee’s.

LadyBrymstone – Yeah, I wanted to add some of the Oz story to not only give some backstory on Willow but to also show that Oz isn’t a complete and heartless bastard. He had some nice moments (doesn’t mean I like him though ). And no, I “wouldn’t already” with the bedroom antics. They’re not ready for it yet. There’s still so much to go on between them before that.

visual fallacy – Long time no see, yeah. And I think Oz had a darkside as well that didn’t involve the wolf. It’s always the quiet ones.

Tibbs – It’s easy to miss stuff. Things just fly by all the time. Yep, both virgins. It’s a thing.

2DIAMONDS – Hey, thanks for the feedback. I really appreciate it. I’m happy to see you’re enjoying it.

Ginner WTluv – Woo, I’m on a favorites list. Thanks. I’ll update soon hopefully.

Kasey – I can honestly say I felt a little overwhelmed when I saw your feedback. It’s just so long. So I sat down with various post-it notes and sorted through it all in a methodical manner. So here goes. 1)Knee-rubbing is always in the good category. Okay, I take that back. When someone really creepy is rubbing your knee and you want them to stop but don’t know how to say it without flipping out and decking them, it’s not good. My favorite part of this was your question of whether or not anything else would be rubbed in the update. That was just classic. 2)Well it appears I missed an apostrophe. My bad. That darn grammar always catching up with me somewhere. It was supposed to read “Just ‘cause.” Hope that helps. 3)A college English course in high school makes her a genius? I took college English courses with kids in high school and they were by no means geniuses. I mean, English is our native language, Kasey. 4)I somehow thought you might enjoy that part. I myself enjoyed it and couldn’t help but giggle each time I read it. It kind of takes the seriousness away from it all and makes things a bit light and fluffy, yeah? 5)Yes, I know exactly what you mean. Though you seem to have caught another one of my grammatical mistakes unknowingly. That first “totally” shouldn’t be there. I think it was left over from that original part, if you know what I mean. 6)No, sweetie. No hidden meaning. But I suppose maybe there could be hidden meaning. Sure, I think Tara wears the pants in this one. So okay, Tara wears the pants. I hadn’t realized it until just now. 7)Scientifically I have no explanation for the chain reaction yawning. Though I’m sure I could drag you through a long, drawn out explanation that really has no factual evidence whatsoever. Maybe I’ll do that one day. I don’t like the chain reaction yawning myself. It’s stupid. So take that yawning! Overall, I’d say your feedback was good. It was fun to read, but maybe not fun for the whole family. I’m not sure. I’ll have to ask my great-grandma Ethel before I can know for sure. She’s the deciding vote. I’ll hopefully be updating soon. I’ve sent the next part off to be looked over. So keep your eyes peeled. And isn’t that a stupid phrase? I mean, it’s kind of gross, eye peeling. It takes me to a bad visual place. Ha, visual, an unintentional pun….



Sarah

I've got an electric guitar. I play my stupid songs. I write these stupid words, and I love every one. If I went back some place I know that life was perfect like a TV show then 1993 is where I’d go cause Galaga was my only fight and it was cool to ride my bike we’d sneak out to cough on cigarettes and break it down with old cassettes up in my room it felt so safe where Kurt and Billy never looked at me strange.

[Washi]

So I come skipping along in this thread, all happy, and I find replies, but no update. And I had it all planned, was going to read before going to class and all, to be happy al day. Oh well, update soon, please.

-------------------



"See? I've mastered this tact crap." Anya in Tears Of The Goddess by Lisa



The course of love doesn’t always run smooth, especially for the neurotic and accident-prone. ~ LadyB

[sizzlersister]

Why haven't I replied to this story before?

I love this story.

Like you, I'm all about the mix tapes. A fic-slash-mix tape...what could be better? I've been dowloading (which I like to think of as vicarious owning ) all the songs along the way and enjoying them thoroughly. You have good taste in music, and all the songs mesh together really well, and with the story itself.

Now, about the story. The first thing that really got my attention was the setting. Although technically it takes place in Sunnydale, I couldn't escape the feeling of a midwestern college town - which I love. It's so intimate yet laid back, and it fits the characters so well. Not to mention the sprawling music scene, which you've painted really well. You leave me really wanting to see an Alison Ashmore show, too.

I love the kinda careful progression of their relationship. And I love the characters themselves, how they're the essential Willow and Tara I love, and yet they're entirely different people too. Tara in a band, Willow an anti-Hollywood type filmmaker, and Tara's mom a well known author that Willow loves: strokes of genius (without the college English in high school. har har) But Buffy as a funeral director...that is the raddest, most apropos thing ever!

Thanks for the great story, and I hope to see more of it soon.



ps- I have this picture book called The Yawn. It starts with a kid waking up yawning, and he passes that yawn on. It's one long ass chain reaction yawn that ends with the same boy 'catching' the same yawn as he goes to sleep.

Every time someone reads the book, they yawn.

[unionjill30]

So I tried to post a couple of time last night, and for some reason it would never work. I got a little frustrated and went to bed. I'm trying again now. I had this big long rant about how most of the stuff contained in this update is really pointless, and it's probably not even all that good. A few people might get the jokes, and that'll be worth it. They're really not that funny though. Lots of dumb, inside stuff. Nonetheless, I hope people find something good within this update. And as a side note, I recommend going to see Songs From The Second Floor. It's really worth your time. Oh yeah, and I'll be at Sidewalk this weekend and have tons of tests and papers coming up. That means it might be a little while before I get another update. Sorry. Anyway, here ya go, and thanks for reading.



More Replies:

Washi – Things happen. Life gets in the way. Sorry all you found was replies. It’s a miracle I even got to those when I did. It’s hectic here to say the least.

sizzlersister – I really don’t know why you haven’t replied before. If I could get my psychic powers going, maybe I could tell ya . Ooh… downloading. Naughty naughty. Go buy something and support the bands. Some of them are poor and I know the feeling . It’s funny how you compare my version of Sunnydale to a Midwest college town considering I’ve lived in two different ones for the past three years. I guess it shows. I’m glad you’re likely the little things about the characters that add to their uniqueness. I can’t take all the credit for Buffy as a funeral directory though. I was inspired by one of my best friends who is herself in school to be a funeral director. It’s always fun to pull from the people around you. Though with Buffy dealing with dead-type stuff on the show, it seems kind of fitting that she deals with the dead in this story. As for your book about yawning, I’ll have to let Kasey know. It might help her figure out her burning question. It may actually hold the key to the secret of the chain reaction yawn. Who knows.



Title: Songs For A Mix Tape

Author: Sarah (unionjill30)

Email: unionjill_30@yahoo.com

Rating: PG - PG13ish?

Disclaimer: I don’t own the characters from ME, and really I don’t own the other characters so much either. Though Kim would like to think she owns me. I’ve been informed that I don’t have to be Kim’s bitch, I just choose to be. Go figure.

Feedback: Yes please

Track List



Track 14: Song For A Mix Tape by The Ataris (Let It Burn split with Useless ID version)



The morning after the Oz incident, Tara woke up with her arms wrapped around Willow using her as a teddy bear. When she went to disentangle herself, Willow let out a small squeak of disapproval that caused the blonde to smile.



“Noooo,” Willow whined in her sleep as she attempted to pull the warm body back against her own.



Tara giggled. “Sweetie, I have to go to work this morning,” she softly whispered.



Willow’s eyes slowly blinked open as she came into consciousness. “You have to go?” Her voice was almost childlike.



“Mmmhmm,” Tara replied sadly.



The glowing numbers on the clock glared back at Willow with a menacing 6:57, and she quickly gave in. “Okay,” she sighed.



“You should go back to sleep. I’m going to change and then head home to get a shower.”



Willow nodded, and Tara slipped out of the room to change back into the clothes she’d worn the previous night. When she came back, Willow had rolled over into the space Tara had been occupying all night, and she was obviously fighting to stay awake.



“I said to go back to sleep.” Tara grinned at the redhead.



“But I wanted to tell you bye,” Willow whined in her childlike tone again. She yawned as her eyes fluttered shut for a second.



Tara sat on the edge of the bed and slid her shoes on. Once she’d tied them, she leaned down and gave Willow a kiss on the forehead. “Bye, Will.”



Willow enjoyed the brief kiss but was feeling a little needy this morning. Before Tara could lean up, the redhead pulled her down further into a giant hug.



Tara wasn’t expecting the embrace, but soon relaxed into it. When Willow released her, Tara leaned away with a smile on her face and stood up.



“Bye,” Willow said with a small wave. She watched Tara walk out the door before falling back asleep.



When Tara walked down the stairs to the second level, she almost ran into a pajama clad, yawning Buffy at the bottom.



Buffy almost yelped at the sudden movement to her left. Once she saw it was Tara and not some stranger, she nonchalantly waved. “Oh, hey.”



“Hey,” Tara replied as she kept walking toward the other set of stairs. She was actually in a little bit of a hurry to get home so she could make it in to work before Maureen got there, otherwise she would probably have stopped to talk to Willow’s friend. “See ya,” she said before disappearing down the stairs.



“Bye,” Buffy called after Tara while she continued her trek to the kitchen.



Before reaching the kitchen’s entryway, Buffy stopped dead in her tracks and looked toward the door Tara has just left through. Her eyes got wide as she turned to look at the stairs to the third floor. Suddenly completely alert, Buffy raced up the steps and into Willow’s room where she found the redhead asleep with a small smile on her face. Unable to contain her curiosity, Buffy crept over to the bed and gently shook Willow’s shoulder.



Willow let out a sleepy grunt at the contact and swatted at whatever it was disturbing her sleep. She somehow knew it wasn’t Tara waking her up again and threw the covers over her head to bury herself deeper. She also pulled the pillow Tara had used all night under the covers with her and hugged it tightly to her chest.



“Scootch over. Let me in.” Buffy attempted to move her friend over in order to climb onto the bed. Willow moved only slightly, but it allowed the blonde enough space to lift the covers and crawl under. She was relieved to find Willow fully clothed, and she was almost ready to begin her interrogation. In an effort to become more comfortable, she gently pulled the pillow from Willow’s arms and placed it under her head.



Willow began reaching for the pillow and mumbled sleepily to the intruder, “G’way, you’ll ruin the Tara-smell.”



Buffy couldn’t help it and let out a bellowing laugh. She knew the redhead wasn’t a morning person at all and often said funny things before she was fully awake, but something about Willow’s whiney voice this morning was extra funny.



Willow’s eyes shot open at the sudden loud noise, and she threw the blanket off of her head to investigate. Seeing Buffy guffawing like a mad woman, the redhead grabbed an extra pillow from the bed and promptly smacked it into her friend’s laughing face.



The impact stopped Buffy’s laughter dead in its tracks. She quickly retaliated though with the pillow she’d stolen from Willow’s arms and smacked her best friend in the face as well. “How’s that for Tara-smell?” She laughed at the redhead’s shocked expression.



Not one to be outdone, Willow went directly for the kill and swiftly shoved Buffy completely off the small space on the bed she was occupying and onto the floor. She laughed as the blonde stood up rubbing her butt.



“That was mean,” Buffy whined, only partly serious.



“And you woke me up,” Willow said indignantly.



“Have I told you lately I don’t like you?” The blonde crawled back into bed.



“No, but it’s probably not as much as I don’t like you,” Willow said as she moved over to allow her friend more room.



Both women broke up into giggles at their mock fight. Willow cuddled up next to Buffy when their laughter died down and decided that even though she was almost fully awake she would try to go back to sleep.



Buffy had other plans in mind. “So Tara stayed the night?” she asked casually.



“Yep,” the redhead replied with her eyes closed.



“She seems like a nice girl,” Buffy continued.



“We’ve had this conversation, Buff, and yeah, she’s a nice girl. Great, wonderful, and amazing even.” Willow opened her eyes again as she realized she probably wasn’t going to get to go back to sleep anytime soon. “Nothing happened last night though if that’s what you’re thinking. Well, almost nothing.”



“Ooh, there’s something to tell?” the blonde asked gleefully. “Spill.”



“We ran into Oz.”



Buffy’s joyful dance in her head ceased and she looked with wide eyes at the redhead. “Oz as in stupid ex-boyfriend Oz?”



“Yep, that’s the one,” Willow replied, and soon she was telling the whole story about the previous night.



Buffy listened as her best friend spoke and couldn’t help but feel anger towards Willow’s ex-boyfriend. She soon found her anger replaced by happiness though when the redhead started talking about Tara and the things that had happened between them. Willow filled her in on their conversations, and Buffy smiled internally. She had a good feeling about Tara and was glad her friend had found someone.





The events on Friday night seemed to bring Willow and Tara closer, and they began spending even more time together. For three days in a row Willow visited the blonde at work and brought her lunch, and they spent a good portion of time when Tara was off of work together as well. With all the time they spent in each other’s company, Wednesday night crept up out of nowhere.



Willow drove up to the gate of Tara’s complex where the guard quickly allowed her through. She parked outside the garage next to what she assumed to be either Kim’s or Adam’s car. Getting out of her own vehicle, she spotted Adam leaning against the railing of the deck on the upper level and waved up at him.



“Hey, Willow. Come on up.” He leaned back from the railing and returned her wave. “Tara’s in the first room at the top of the stairs goofing around with Kim,” he explained.



“Are you going to be coming inside?” Willow asked when he leaned back onto the railing.



“In a minute,” Adam answered as he brought one hand up to reveal a lit cigarette between his fingers. He brought the index finger of his other hand up to his lips in a shushing motion.



Willow looked at him quizzically before walking up to the front door. She felt odd just walking into Tara’s home but got over it and stepped inside.



Upon entering the living room, Willow could hear the sound of an acoustic guitar and laughter floating down the stairs. The guitar stopped and the laughing got louder but soon stopped as the guitar began again. When she was at the bottom of the steps, a deeper acoustic sound joined in and what Willow could only guess to be Kim’s voice started singing. The only words the redhead could pick out were “paragon” and “coffee.”



At the top of the steps, Willow stood outside the open door and watched as Kim played an acoustic bass and sang while accompanied on an acoustic guitar played by Tara. They were both seated on the floor facing each other with Tara leaning back into a futon that sat along one wall. Neither of them noticed the redhead as they played.



In the middle of the song, Kim busted up laughing again. “The kid… and his fork… and drums…” She managed to get out pieces of sentences between giggles, and soon she started snorting.



Tara cracked up as well and tears began coming down her cheeks.



Willow continued watching from the doorway and smiled at the two friends who were obviously enjoying themselves.



When Adam came inside, he could hear the laughter and went to investigate. He stepped up behind Willow in the doorway and asked, “What’s so funny?”



The sound of Adam’s voice startled all three women, and they turned in his direction.



Tara saw Willow standing in front of her friend and managed to stop laughing long enough to smile warmly at the redhead. “Hey, Will.”



Willow turned back toward the blonde and smiled as well. “Hey.”



“So what was so funny?” Adam repeated.



The two women inside the room cracked up again, but Kim managed a quick explanation as she continued laughing. “Paragon kid.”



Adam rolled his eyes. “Oh god, not that story again.”



Tara caught the confused look on Willow’s face and tried to calm down enough to explain further. “This kid at this diner was playing drums on his plate with his silverware.”



Kim picked up the story as well. “But that’s only after he watched Tara playing drums on the table with two straws for a half hour. ‘Cause kids are dumb and imitate anything.”



“His mom got so mad at him,” Tara continued, beginning to laugh again.



“It was ten o’clock, and he was like four at the max. She should have had the little shit at home already,” Kim added.



Adam stepped up beside Willow and looked at her. “See, stupid story,” he said with a less than amused look. He looked at Tara and Kim. “It’s not even funny.”



“You weren’t even there,” Kim shot back with a semi-dirty look.



“You really had to be there,” Tara explained to Willow who nodded dumbly. The blonde stood up and stretched.



“Food now?” Adam asked.



“Yes, food now,” Kim replied, setting her instrument aside.



All four of them filed into the dining room, and Adam helped Tara bring food to the table. Kim and Tara had prepared vegetable lo mein and rice while Adam had made egg rolls.



“You guys made all this?” Willow asked in awe.



“Yep, and it’s even better than takeout,” Adam said.



“Except the one part that cannot be replicated,” Kim began as she rushed back into the kitchen. She reappeared a few seconds later with a serving plate. “Yen Ching Crab Rangoon.” She knew Adam and Tara wouldn’t eat it, but thought she’d offer to Willow. “You want one?”



“No thanks,” the redhead declined. “Kind of Jewish. No crab.”



Tara’s ears perked up. She enjoyed finding out new information about the redhead.



“Oh yeah?” Kim asked. “I used to be Jewish.”



“Used to be?” Willow questioned.



“My family’s Jewish. But I’m not really into it,” she explained.



“Kim’s our little rebel.” Adam reached over and patted Kim’s shoulder, earning a laugh from Tara and Kim.



They all started passing around the food and soon began eating. Less than a minute later, the phone rang.



“It’s always when you sit down to eat,” Tara muttered as she got up to answer the phone.



“If it’s a telemarketer, let me talk to them,” Kim shouted after her friend.



Tara’s voice carried from her bedroom into the dining room. “Hello… Oh hi, Mrs. Kohlman… Sorry. Linda… I got the recipes… Yeah, she’s here… Hang on.” Tara walked back into the dining room and handed the phone to Kim. “It’s your mother.”



Kim rolled her eyes and took the phone, covering the lower portion with her hand. “What does she want,” she whispered.



“She didn’t say.” Tara shrugged her shoulders and sat back down at the table.



Raising the phone to her ear, Kim spoke. “Mom, hi.” She decided to take the call elsewhere and headed downstairs to the living room.



“So what was that song you guys were playing earlier?” Willow asked, making conversation while they waited for Kim to come back before continuing with their meal.



“Oh, just a song from Kim’s band from back home,” Tara explained. She grinned remembering the story behind the song. “Kind of written as a result of that story from earlier.”



Adam rolled his eyes but smiled. He knew his two best friends had crazy, pointless stories from their past before California, and even though he didn’t always get the stories, he knew Tara and Kim enjoyed them, which ultimately made him happy.



“Kim was in a band?” Willow thought for a second and found the scenario easy to picture.



“Yep. She played bass and sang. Just one item on the long list of things we have in common,” the blonde said.



“Cool.” There were so many things Willow didn’t know about Tara and her group of friends, and she wanted to find out.



Suddenly Kim’s voice could be heard from downstairs. “You what?” she yelled in a voice bordering on disbelief. It was quickly followed by a drawn out “No!”



All three at the table were immediately on their feet and headed downstairs to investigate. Tara was at the front of the group and almost ran into a fuming Kim who was on her way up at the bottom of the steps.



“What happened?” Tara asked, obviously extremely worried.



“She’s done the unthinkable,” Kim said through her teeth. She held the cordless phone at her side in a death grip.



“What?” Adam prodded. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever seen Kim this angry. It was kind of scary.



“First she tells me she tried to sell my Atari. Lucky for her no one wanted it.” Kim was seething. “Then she tells me that sometime during her cleaning binge, she’s thrown out all of my Kool-Aid points. That’s almost twenty years worth of collecting!”



Adam’s and Tara’s eyes widened. They’d heard their friend talk about her childhood obsession of collecting points from the back of the fruit flavored drink packets. When she’d moved out of her parents’ house she hadn’t been able to find the notebook they were all taped into. Obviously her mother had found it.



Willow stood back and tried to figure out what was going on. She wasn’t really understanding Kim’s apparent attachment to some Kool-Aid points. She decided not to say anything though and to just let Tara and Adam sort it out.



“Ugh!” Kim raised the phone in the air and was ready to throw it across the room, but Tara quickly acted, stopping her friend before she could launch the potential projectile.



“No breaking my phone,” the blonde said as she pried the handset from Kim’s fingers.



“Sorry,” Kim apologized before starting another rant. “She’s just always doing stuff like this though, ya know? I think she does it on purpose. I never went pilfering through her stuff, but I guess she thinks she can go through mine.”



Adam stepped over and gave Kim a hug. “It’ll be okay, hon. We’ll sort it out.”



Tara hugged her as well once Adam let go.



“Thanks guys,” Kim said as she pulled away from Tara. She looked over at Willow who still stood on the last stair. “Well I can’t leave you out,” she said to the redhead as she opened her arms for another hug.



Before Willow could respond, she was wrapped in a huge embrace that nearly knocked the air out of her lungs and caused her eyes to bulge out slightly.



“Don’t kill her,” Tara admonished.



Kim released the redhead, allowing Willow to catch her breath. “You’re tiny,” Kim commented.



“Um, thanks?” Willow wasn’t really sure what to say.



Soon Kim had recuperated and the four of them went back upstairs to finish dinner. They’d all laughed and had good conversation throughout the meal, and when it was over, Adam rushed into the kitchen for one last thing. When he returned, he had a plate containing four fortune cookies.



“I made these myself,” he explained as he distributed one to each of the women. Each cookie had a different colored piece of paper slightly sticking out of it so he knew which one to give whom. When everyone had one, he told them to break them open.



Tara was the first to read hers, and on the pink slip of paper the words ‘Marry me?’ were written in bold black ink. She immediately cracked up laughing, and tried in vain to compose herself. “Oh, Adam. This is all so sudden,” she managed to get out. “I never thought you’d ask.”



“What?” Kim asked before she finished reading her slip of green paper.



Tara held up her paper to show everyone, causing laughter to erupt around the table. “What’s yours say?” she asked Willow.



The redhead recited what was written on her blue slip of paper. “Setting a significant other’s friend up on a date will be looked favorably upon. P.S. You don’t happen to have a sister, do you?” She couldn’t help but snicker afterwards and was soon joined by giggles from Tara and Kim.



“Well?” Adam prodded the redhead.



“Sorry, no sister,” she replied.



“You’re a sad, sad boy,” Kim said with a shake of her head.



“You can’t blame a guy for trying,” Adam said, shrugging his shoulders.



“What’s yours say?” Tara asked Kim.



Kim held up her green slip of paper and read aloud. “Your hair will turn the color of this paper if you don’t stop being a Libra and make a final decision on a shade.” She promptly smacked Adam on the arm when she finished reading.



“What?” he yelped, but a smile covered his face.



“He’s got a point, ya know?” Tara grinned as she defended her friend.



“I don’t dye my hair that much,” Kim argued.



“Well, I’ve only known you for about a month so maybe I don’t really count,” Willow began. “But I’ve seen at least three different colors already.”



“Another valid point,” Tara said, smiling at Willow.



“Oh shut up,” Kim whined. “I like my hair. So there.” She smoothed her hands over the locks in question, which were currently a copper shade.



“I like your hair too,” Adam added, rubbing Kim’s arm in a comforting gesture.



“Yeah, it’s part of what makes you, well you,” Tara said, smiling at her friend.



“Well, okay,” Kim relented, forgiving her friends almost immediately. “Now read yours, Adam.”



“Okay,” he said, looking at his white paper. “You will soon be surrounded by beautiful women,” he read aloud before looking up at his friends with a sly grin. “I wonder if that means a bunch of hot girls will be in class tonight.”



“Hey!” Kim shouted throwing her napkin at Adam. “Are you saying you’re not surrounded by beautiful women now?”



Tara and Willow joined in by throwing their napkins as well.



Dodging the cloth projectiles, Adam laughed. “Alright! I give! You’re all gorgeous.”



“That’s better,” Kim said calmly.



Willow couldn’t help but smile at the interaction between the friends. They were a fun bunch, and she felt really comfortable around them. It made her happy to know she was fitting in with Tara’s friends as one of them and not just as the blonde’s girlfriend.



“Speaking of class,” Tara began, “we should probably start to head out so we’re not late.”



Adam glanced at his watch. “Yeah, you’re right. Let’s get this cleaned up and we should go.”



With all four of them helping out, the table was cleared in no time and the leftovers were put away as well as the dishes placed in the dishwasher.



As the group descended the stairs, Kim shouted out, “I’ll drive!”



No one protested, and they all walked outside to Kim’s vehicle.



“This is Lola,” Kim said to Willow, introducing the redhead to the reddish-orange colored Neon. She pressed the unlock button on her remote allowing everyone to get inside. “She’s my baby.”



“You named your car Lola?” Willow asked in surprise as she got in the back seat next to Tara. Off of Kim’s nod, she added, “I have a car named Lola.”



“Really?” Kim squealed. “That is so cool. So Lola and Lola have been sitting next to each other all night?” she asked, looking at the silver vehicle beside them.



“No, that’s Vivien,” the redhead explained. “Lola’s back east at my parents’ house still.”



“What’s with naming your cars?” Adam asked. “They’re not like people or pets or anything.”



“I don’t get it either,” Tara added.



“They’re like a member of the family!” Kim shouted before turning the ignition. “They deserve names, and they’ll treat you better if they have an identity.”



“I didn’t name my first car,” Willow said as Kim pulled away from the building. “It ended up wrapped around a tree.”



“Oh my god!” Tara gasped, instinctively trying to scoot closer to the redhead, only to be hindered by a seatbelt. “Were you okay?”



“I’m here now,” Willow said, smiling warmly at Tara as if to say, Thanks for worrying. “I named my next car though and in almost six years I didn’t have a single problem with her.”



“See, case in point,” Kim said smugly from the driver’s seat.



Tara unbuckled her seatbelt and moved to the middle of the back seat before buckling herself in there. She placed her head on Willow’s shoulder and murmured, “I’m glad you’re here now,” into the redhead’s neck.



Willow wrapped her arms around Tara and pulled her closer. “Me too.”



Adam and Kim looked at each other and smiled. They both resisted the urge to tease the two women in the back seat, but instead just enjoyed the fact that their old friend and new friend seemed happy.



They ended up arriving a little early for the class, and very few people filled the theatre. Kim decided they should all go outside and sit on the benches outside the Forum so she could have a cigarette.



“Can I bum one?” Adam asked his friend.



Kim obliged and gave him a cigarette from her pack.



“You’re a bad influence on him,” Tara said to Kim.



“Yes because he’s still an impressionable youth,” Kim joked.



Adam didn’t get that it was a joke and defended himself. “Hey, I’m not a youth. I just turned twenty.”



“I know, sweetie,” Kim said, handing her lighter to Adam after lighting her own cigarette.



Tara and Willow shared a second bench so they wouldn’t have to sit with the smokers.



“He only does that when Kim’s around,” Tara muttered to the redhead. Not wanting to be in a bad mood, she changed the subject. “I almost forgot. I have something for you.”



“Ooh, a present?” Willow’s eyes lit up.



“Sort of.” The blonde smiled before reaching into her bag to pull out a thin blue CD case. “It’s a mix CD. For you.”



“Oh fun!” Willow gladly accepted the case and immediately opened it to look at the CD inside. There was a typed out track list on a sheet of paper and the disc itself was covered in a white label with a hand-drawn picture of Rainbow Brite and friends on a roller coaster. “From the coloring book,” she whispered, then more loudly said, “That’s really good. Did you draw it?”



“Yeah.” Tara blushed. “It’s not the whole picture ‘cause that was too big for a CD, but you get the gist.”



“Thank you,” Willow said as she wrapped the blonde in a hug. She gave Tara a soft kiss on the lips before asking excitedly, “What’s on it?”



Tara smiled at the redhead’s eagerness and began explaining the disc’s contents. “Well, since you wanted to hear some stuff we’ve recorded and Ross hasn’t started making more copies of the demo, I thought I’d put the one song I had of ours on a CD, but I think only one song would be a total waste. So, I added a bunch of other stuff that I thought you might like. There’re some other local bands and some better known groups, some signed, some unsigned.”



Willow listened intently as Tara went through the track list and explained all the songs. Sometimes the blonde would get animated or tell and tell a story about a particular track, and it made Willow smile.



When Tara was finished, Willow placed the CD case in her bag. “I love it. Thank you,” she said sincerely before kissing the blonde again.



“Alright, lovebirds. Movie time,” Kim said, interrupting the moment.



Tara shot Kim a glare, but it went unnoticed. She and Willow reluctantly stood up to enter the Forum 1 theatre with Adam and Kim.



The room was only about half-filled, and the group sat in a middle row near the front. After a quick introduction of Songs From The Second Floor by the instructor, the lights were dimmed and the projector began rolling. The screen lit up with a scene of a man in a tanning bed having a discussion with another man who stood to the side, and everyone in the theatre focused their attention on the sight in front of them.



Midway through the film, a few people slowly got up and left. Adam had to nudge Kim who had fallen asleep, though he was on the verge of a nap as well. Tara and Willow held hands and watched the screen in fascination.



By the time the last scene ended, most people were more than eager to rush out of the room. Kim nudged Adam who had fallen asleep this time and the two of them slowly began stretching as the credits rolled. The other two women in the group still remained watching as the words flowed down the screen.



“I liked it,” Willow said as she finally unclasped her hand from Tara’s.



“Me too,” the blonde agreed.



“Did you even understand what it was about?” Kim asked as she stood up. “’Cause I wasn’t really following.”



“Me either,” Adam added. “But then again, I fell asleep.”



“It was about social decline,” Tara explained.



“And capitalism,” the redhead supported. “It was full of very not nice situations.”



Tara smiled at Willow’s explanation. “Yes, very not nice, Will.”



“Well I get that it wasn’t something from the Wonderful World of Disney, but I still didn’t get it. I mean, it didn’t even all tie together and tell a story,” Kim complained as the group walked out of the theatre.



“It’s called a collection of vignettes, hon,” Tara tried to explain. “And they did come together to tell a bigger story.”



“Fine, whatever. I’ll buy it, but I still didn’t like the movie,” Kim said.



“So, you two ladies want to explain it all to me when I’m studying for the final?” Adam asked Willow and Tara because they seemed to be getting it better than he was.



“Sure,” Willow agreed, and Tara nodded as well. Both women were happy to know the other had understood the film so they’d have someone to discuss it with.



They all walked to Kim’s car and headed back to Tara’s house. Once there, Willow and Tara got out of the backseat, and Adam began getting out of the car as well.



“Oh no you don’t,” Kim said, pulling him back inside. She still had the car running. “You’re coming with me to the grocery store and we’re going to start rebuilding my Kool-Aid point collection.”



“Okay,” he answered nervously.



Willow and Tara laughed and said goodbye to Kim and Adam who soon sped off for Kool-Aid and conversation about how much they approved of Willow.



The two women stepped inside the living room and sat down together on the couch.



“They’re fun,” Willow said as she relaxed into the cushions.



“Yeah. That’s part of why I love them,” Tara replied. She began taking off her shoes and then pulled her feet up under herself on the couch.



Willow took her shoes off as well and curled up beside the blonde. “How’d you meet them?” she wondered aloud.



“Adam I just met at Penny Lane ‘cause he’s worked there since high school, but Kim… that’s a really long story.”



“I’ve got time,” Willow said, wrapping her arms around Tara and smirking.



Tara grinned. “Well if you really want to know…”



“I want t know everything about you,” the redhead murmured, resting her head into the crook of Tara’s neck.



Willow wasn’t able to see it, but Tara frowned slightly. There were some things she wasn’t sure she should share with the redhead out of fear of rejection. There were parts of her past that she wasn’t so sure Willow would like to know, and she wasn’t so sure she would like Willow to know. Rather than dwell on it, she thought about when she and Kim had met and began telling the story.



“We met in Chicago a few months before I turned nineteen,” Tara explained. “She’s from the area, and I moved there after high school.”



“By yourself?” Willow asked, interrupting the narrative.



“Yes,” Tara replied. “I needed something new and had to get out on my own.”



“Oh,” was all Willow said, and Tara continued.



“There’s this tattoo and piercing parlor in Boys Town that I came across, so I went inside.”



“You have a tattoo?” Willow cut in again, slightly shocked that Tara would have anything of the sort.



“No,” Tara laughed. “No tattoo. Now stop. You’re ruining the flow,” she playfully admonished.



“Okay,” the redhead sighed as she held onto Tara and tried to keep herself from interrupting again.



“I was looking to get something pierced, and that’s where I found Kim waiting in the front to get a tattoo.” Before Willow could say anything, she went on. “None of her friends came with her and she asked me to help her pick out something. We decided on a butterfly for her shoulder, and she helped me decide on getting my lip pierced.”



Willow couldn’t help but say something and blurted out, “You had your lip pierced?”



“For about five months,” the blonde explained. “I realized it was a stupid idea and took it out.”



“Yeah, but that’s… that’s really hot,” Willow said, looking up at Tara trying to picture her with the piercing.



“Really?” Tara was surprised. “I have pictures if you want to see.”



“Definitely,” the redhead replied eagerly.



Tara leaned forward and pulled a photo album out of a compartment under the coffee table. She flipped to the section she wanted and displayed the book for Willow.



“You look really young,” Willow commented as she stared at the pictures of Tara’s past.



“Time does a lot to people,” the blonde said wisely.



Willow flipped through the pages of photos, taking in everything. Tara had to explain some of them to her such as the ones with Kim’s family and the ones with friends Willow had never seen. There were a few pictures in what looked like a rundown apartment, and Willow asked about where they were taken.



“That was my first apartment in the same building as Kim’s,” the blonde explained.



“You lived there?” Willow asked in shock. It didn’t look like a very fun place at all.



“Yeah, but it’s better than a car,” Tara commented. She remembered the few days she’d spent in her car before she ended up in Chicago and met Kim.



Willow grimaced as she looked at the picture. She didn’t think she’d be able to live on her own in an unknown city in the place Tara had lived in. The fact that Tara had done all that showed some of the strength the blonde possessed, and Willow was happy to know this woman.



The two ended up talking late into the evening, and it wasn’t until Willow’s eyes began to droop that they realized what time it was. After a short discussion, it was decided that the redhead would stay the night. They went upstairs and got ready for bed before crawling in together. It was something that seemed to be becoming a habit with them.

I've got an electric guitar. I play my stupid songs. I write these stupid words, and I love every one. If I went back some place I know that life was perfect like a TV show then 1993 is where I’d go cause Galaga was my only fight and it was cool to ride my bike we’d sneak out to cough on cigarettes and break it down with old cassettes up in my room it felt so safe where Kurt and Billy never looked at me strange.

[Washi]

Sarah, I totally get it. Real Life is a bitch. You take your time, and I really liked the update... Getting to know your girlfriend/boyfriend's friends is pretty important. I'm glad they all got along well.

Take your time for the next one. I can be patient.

-------------------



"See? I've mastered this tact crap." Anya in Tears Of The Goddess by Lisa



The course of love doesn’t always run smooth, especially for the neurotic and accident-prone. ~ LadyB

[bluewillowwitch]

,

I loved the udate! and are so cute together! I tought it was so funny when Kim was ranting about her Kool-Aid points. Those furtune cookies that Adam had where cute and funny. I loved how Adam want to go see the movie then he falls asleep and and are gona have to bail him out and tell him about it. Took film class, not as fun as it sounds. I can't wait to more. Update soon, please?





bluewillowwitch

--------------------------------------------

"Fate keeps on happening."--Anita Loos

[sabina]

Hi



It's so great to come to the internet and find an update on this fic



I think its great the way you're describing their growing relationship. Slowly and surely.



I love this

---

"I know I was born and I know that I'll die.

The in between is mine.

I am mine!" - Pearl Jam

[Marilda]

Hi,



I'm really enjoying this fic. I'm glad that you're taking it slow, I think it gives a piece a very innocent sweetness.

You are a very talented writer and I'm enjoying your words. Update soon.

[Willster]

Hey!!

I loved the update you know!! you shouldn't be so hard on yourself.. Maybe there were some inside jokes most of us didn't get but still it doesnt matter when it's such a lovely story like this!!



Take your time for the next update, we all understand how life can be sometimes..!



Take care



Caro

[Arwen276]

Hey!

I loved the update!



They're so cute together, and Adam and Kim are so much fun!!





I wonder what Tara's hiding from her past.



Update at your own pace!



~Arwen

[Kerrison20]

Very bad me. I just realized that I haven't replied yet to your very wonderful fic. I would tell you everything I love about it, but I love EVERYTHING about it. So that would be a LONG post.



Can't wait for the next update.



Lisa

[sam darls]

Hey sarah...Wonderful update...They are so sweet together. And Tara with a lip piercing..yummy!! Love Sammi xxx

[foreverpiper]

i LOVE adam and kim!! loving everything about this fic!! poor kim and her kool-aid collection...i would have cried this just gets better and better!

Galahad: What a strange person. French Dude: I don't want to talk to you no more, you empty headed animal food trough wiper. I fart in your general direction. Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries. Galahad: Is there someone else up their we could talk to? French Dude: No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time. - Monty Python

[littlecrazy80]

Loved the update! It´s good that Willow and Tara´s friends like each other.



But I´m curious about Tara´s past.



*lil`c*

Let´s get happy and let´s be gay. germany´s grand prix song



Check this out

[effrena]

hey, i started read your story today, don`t ask me why i didn`t before, am kind of STUPID that way.



sorry, got carried away



anyway, i looovvvee it! all your knowledge about music, books...



plus, i completely adore kim and adam! really great characters! and i so love the idea that tara is playing bass (the hand thing... so true !) and working in a bookshop!



this got me really hooked, so please, if possible update soon? no preassure though, good work takes it`s time...



i did say i love this? didn`t i?

We'll fling the bunnies at her- evil bunny projectiles. After I run her over and you strangle her and Bre chops her up. It's brilliant!" Lisa of Nine - Milestones

[tiger17]

This was an awesome update I absolutely loved it. I can't wait for the next update, great job and continue your awesome writing

Edited by: tiger17 at: 9/17/03 7:34 pm

[Sleek]

I'm putting this on my shelf of Top 5 Must Read Fics. I'm a big fan of High Fidelity and this fic certainly has the same refreshingly honest perspective to it.



Keep it up!

Sleek

[YMKA]

Hey there

I just love it... it's sooooooooo sweet

The morning after Oz thingy was so beautiful!!!!!!

And....ATARI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my GOD!!!!

I can't believe it.....it was like my second comp.... .....the memories..... I still have one back home...or where my parents live

Thanks!!!



M.

---------------------

"..I feel you, I taste you, I cannot forget, everytime it rains I get wet..." (c) Ace of Base

[kbk3022]

Hey Sarah,



I just wanted to give feedback before I forgot and then you wouldn't have my feedback before Friday and then that means you wouldn't have seen my feedback until you get back from Sidewalk. Therefore, I decided to give you feedback now so that won't happen. This update was interesting. I have to say that I think most of the jokes were over my head. I have no idea what any of it meant, or if the things I thought meant something meant anything at all. Can you triple stamp a double stamp? I like the part with the pillow and stuff. Hmm... maybe I should name my car. Got any suggestions? I like lip piercings. How come Tara was living in that place? What's this about drugs?



Kasey

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

- - -
"Take heed 'cause I'm a lyrical poet, Miami's on the scene just in case you didn't know it. My town, that created all the bass sound, enough to shake and kick holes in the ground. 'Cause my style's like a chemical spill..."

[Tibbs]

Tara.. with a lip ring. Can we say woah hottness?



I am comming to like Kim and Adam more and more with each update. Great characters, and the fact that you've based Kim off your friend, makes me want to seriously meet her. Tell her she rocks!



Let me mention, yet again I LOVE THIS FIC.



I know how real life gets, so I will be a patient Kitten, sit here quietly and wait for another update.



Woo and Hoo to you!



Kudo's

Tibbs