The Kitten, the Witches and the Bad Wardrobe - Willow & Tara Forever

General Chat  || Kitten  || WaV  || Pens  || Mi2  || GMP  || TiE  || FAQ  || Feed - The Kitten, the Witches and the Bad Wardrobe

All times are UTC - 8 hours [ DST ]



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 29 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 12:47 am 
Offline
6. Sassy Eggs
User avatar

Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2005 12:16 pm
Posts: 403
Location: Right Behind You
Hello, Kittens! After a year or so's hiatus, I'm back, and writing better than ever! So here's a bit of fluff to get back into the swing of it, before I hit up the heavy angst. This should be a relatively short fic, no more than a few chapters, but it should also be filled with all sorts of W/T cuteness, so stay tuned!

To Get Your Attention

By Naeryn Stratford
Disclaimer: All characters copyright Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy, no infringement intended.
Rating: PG for now, I may adjust the rating later as I see fit.
Summary: AU. Willow and Tara both attended Sunnydale high together. Tara had a place on the cheerleading squad, and Willow was the head nerd. Also, there are no vampires, no Hellmouth, and no Slayer. Please note that this was inspired by the song How Do You Like Me Now, by Toby Keith. It's a great song, you should give it a listen. I also want to note that although my fic is based on a very similar concept, it's far less mean-spirited. XD


Prologue: The Phone Number Incident

"Oh my god, Tara, come quickly!" Cordelia huffed, her breath catching at her throat. "It's terrible!" She grabbed Tara's arm, tugging her quickly towards the locker room doors.

Tara was used to Cordelia's excitability, of course, and quickly tossed her pom-poms onto the bench that ran behind her locker. "What? Jeez, Cordy, slow down. What happened?" She twisted her arm free of her head cheerleader's grasp.

"It's..." Cordelia shook her head quickly and grabbed Tara's arm again. "Just come see."

Confused, Tara followed, trying to keep up so she wouldn't stumble when Cordelia tugged on her arm. She was dragged up the bleachers, all the way up to the top, before Cordelia spun her around abruptly. She gasped, lifting her hand to her mouth in horror. Tara stumbled back, sitting down hard on the bench behind her.

There on the field, someone had taken the school's lawnmower and mowed words onto the fifty-yard line. '555-8274 - CALL FOR A GOOD TIME!' It was Tara's phone number. The blood rushed to her face in a mixture of anger, hurt and embarrassment. "Who would...?" She whispered in a small voice.

She wracked her brain. As far as she knew, she had no enemies at school. Granted, she didn't socialize with the lowest rungs on the high school social scale, but she took pains never to be rude to anyone, at least not without good reason. Was there anyone who hated her enough to do such a thing?

Tara sniffed quietly, willing herself not to cry. Whoever it is doesn't matter. They're just foolish and petty, and it won't matter anyway because there's time for the groundskeeper to mow the field before the game starts, so no one else has to see it. She took a deep breath, forcing her heart to slow and her head to stop pounding. She locked her jaw tightly and muttered to Cordelia, "You'll get Tom to fix this?"

"Of course! There's no way we'd start a game with the field like this!" Cordelia reached out and pulled Tara into a tight hug. "I'll go talk to Tom right away, but I just... well, I thought you should know."

Nodding, Tara pulled away and started down the stands. "I'm going to go finish getting ready."

"All right, Tara. I'll go get Tom, and then be inside in a minute." Cordelia sighed, looking once more at the ugly words scrawled across the field. "She's the nicest one of us. Why would someone do this to her?" She shook her head and headed off to find Tom.

[center]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[/center]

Willow looked down, twisting the toe of her shoe into the linoleum schoolroom floor. "Well... yeah. I thought it'd get her attention."

Sighing, Xander shook his head. "It'll probably just hurt her, Will. Or piss her off, but either way, you're no closer to getting in her pants." He reached out with a fist and lightly tapped Willow on the head. "If you're lucky, she'll never know it was you. But why do you keep trying, Will? I mean, she's never been cruel to you like Cordelia and Harmony are, but she's never paid attention to you, or anything."

Willow sighed, puffing up her bangs. "I know, I know, I know. But she..."

"She gave you a crayon, Will. In the first grade. I mean, don't get me wrong, that was an important day for me, too, but..."

"I know, Xand. I know. I just..." She rolled her eyes, threw up her hands, and started pacing. "I can't let it go."

She thought back to the incident, not even noticing as the corners of her mouth turned up and the tip of her tongue made it's famous appearance.



The crayon cracked. Willow's eyes flew open in horror at what she'd done. It was broken, clean in two, right across the middle. Was it useless, now? Would she get in trouble!? She screwed up her face and began to cry quietly in fear.

"Here." Willow opened her eyes to see a small boy sitting beside her, waving his hand for the teacher as he clutched the broken yellow crayon, and a hand extended in front of her bearing a new one.

A huge smile broke out across Willow's face. She reached out and took the crayon, breathlessly, as though it were a sacred object. She looked up to see large, innocent blue eyes framed by white-blonde hair and a quirky half-grin on one of the friendliest faces she'd ever seen. She looked over at the boy and grinned again, for his face was the next on her new list of friendly people.

The girl sat down on her other side and smiled at her, tilting her head. "I'm Tara."

"I'm Willow!" She couldn't keep herself from smiling. Was this possible? Did she have a friend after only the first week of her new school?

The boy, having received his new crayon, edged closer on the other side. "I'm Alexander, and everyone keeps calling me Alex, but will you please call me Xander? I like it better." He grinned. "It sounds cooler."

Willow rolled her eyes exaggeratedly and giggled, clapping her hands together. "Okay, Xander."

Tara leaned into Willow's shoulder, looking down at her page. "What'cha drawing, Willow?"

Willow blushed and smiled. "I'm drawing a new family." She shook her head vigorously. "My mommy and daddy aren't around very much, so I'm drawing the family I'm going to have when I'm all growed up and can make my own." She showed her the page, decorated with four stick figures, two tiny and two large. One of the large ones had a mess of red on it's bubble of a head, clearly meant to be Willow as an adult.

She looked over at Tara out of the corner of her eye, picked up the yellow crayon, and drew long yellow hair on the other big stick figure.




Willow sighed again. She wondered what Xander would say if he knew that she still had that drawing... and she'd stolen the crayon. The next day, of course, Xander had hung out with her again, but Tara hadn't. She had captivated everyone in that classroom, and had quickly become fast friends with a girl named Buffy, so, naturally, the next day, that's where she was.

"And it's not like I just want to get in her pants, Xand. That's not even the point."

He grinned and shrugged. "I know. But I like to think it's the point." He flinched away from Willow's hand as it flew towards the backside of his head. "What? I may be your," he snuggled close, still grinning, "bestest best friend, Will, but I'm still a boy. And two girls doin' it is still hot."

She sighed and pushed him away, but couldn't keep the smile from her own face. "Whatever, Xand."

She paused for a minute, and he watched as her features slowly transformed, the smile almost dripping off of her face, leaving a pained frown in it's place. He liked the smile much better. "Xander..."

"Yeah?"

"Do you really think I have no chance with her?"

He shook his head at her, jumping up to sit on a desk. "Will... you don't even know that she likes girls. She probably doesn't, since she's dating Larry, and he's pretty much as macho-man as you can get. I really don't know what she sees in him."

"You never get what anyone sees in him, because you're always jealous of him." She pushed him off the desk again and grinned. "You need to toughen up, Xand, if you're ever going to attract the ladies the way I do." She swung one hip outwards, lifting her hands up over her head, and fell into peals of laughter when he turned bright red. "You're so easy, Xander."

_________________
Don't you sit upon the shoreline and say you're satisfied, choose to chance the rapids, and dare to dance the tides - Garth Brooks, "the River"


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 1:50 am 
Offline
3. Flaming O

Joined: Thu Mar 26, 2009 1:22 am
Posts: 98
Location: Australia
Wow - I can't believe I'm first to reply!! :party

Interesting start - maybe trying to give us a red herring with Willow and the 'vandalised' field.....?

Looking forward to the next update :)


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 9:51 am 
Offline
3. Flaming O
User avatar

Joined: Sat Aug 09, 2008 12:40 pm
Posts: 94
Location: Canada
Ooh, I like this, interesting concept. I like most stories where the gang is in highschool. It's pretty funny that Willow did that to get Tara's attention, but I assume that it won't work considering Willow probably won't admit that it was her haha.

Tara dating Larry? That's funny, I can see where that is going! :)

I really enjoyed that, can't wait for more!

_________________
Slow dancing in a burning room...


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 9:53 am 
Offline
10. Troll Hammer

Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2005 2:08 pm
Posts: 1163
Topics: 1
Location: Easton PA
Not much to say; this section is fairly self-explanatory. Like how Cordy knows herself fairly well. YOu're not the first writer here to have Tara and Larry being each other's "coverfriends" (I don't like the term "beard," plus they could both not realize yet how they actually feel so it might not be conscious) but it's always got new and interesting possibilities. (Hmmm, is Andrew in this fic?)

Interestign diveregnces from the song; Toby's first-person character wasn't a nerd/scholar but "the crazy one." (According to Billboard, this was #1 coutnry single the eyar it came out.)
Wonder how many years you're going to squeeze intot his; is the hgih school stuff preface to an adult fic, liek the song did?
(One thing I liked in the video, not sure if TOby ahd this in mind; the adult version of the woamn was at first intrigued by the flower, because her home life sin't that great, but when she sees who really sent it she's no more impressed than her high school self was, even if he is a big recording star now.)
My ex and our daughter and I met Toby at FanFair in '99; like everyone else there he seemed very nice,b tu not super-out-going; Richard Sterbi, Joe Bonsall,LEeanne Woamck, and Doug Stone were really joking around with the fans, and Vicne Gill was flirting with my daughter who was only 8 at the time:-).[/i]

_________________
Snapshots:http://thekittenboard.com/board/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=10210 a Love Story
____________________________________________________________
Kim: (breaks off the kissing) I l... (Sue stops her with a hand)
Sue: We don't talk about things like that right after, you know that, no saying those things in The Moment.
Kim: (moves the hand aside) Screw The Moment. I *love* you.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 9:53 am 
Offline
6. Sassy Eggs

Joined: Mon May 21, 2007 8:53 pm
Posts: 490
Location: Whitstable, UK
Poor Tara, having that happening to her.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 11:40 pm 
Offline
6. Sassy Eggs
User avatar

Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2005 12:16 pm
Posts: 403
Location: Right Behind You
Poniac: Nope; Willow definitely did it. Stay tuned to find out the rest of that story ;)

Sparks: They're actually not in high school. Like the song, this story will take place some years after high school. It was meant to provide some basis for future events.

DaddyCatALSO: Well, I don't really plan on delving into Larry all that much right now, but you do make an excellent point. I may choose to explore that later. And I always figured Willow to be far more internally crazy that way than she ever let herself be. :P

Taralover: Yeah - and we'll get into that, sooner or later.

Thanks, everyone, for reading and reviewing! You guys rock!

_________________
Don't you sit upon the shoreline and say you're satisfied, choose to chance the rapids, and dare to dance the tides - Garth Brooks, "the River"


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Thu Jun 18, 2009 11:42 pm 
Offline
6. Sassy Eggs
User avatar

Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2005 12:16 pm
Posts: 403
Location: Right Behind You
To Get Your Attention

By Naeryn Stratford
Disclaimer: All characters copyright Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy, no infringement intended.
Summary: AU. Willow and Tara both attended Sunnydale high together. Tara had a place on the cheerleading squad, and Willow was the head nerd. Also, there are no vampires, no Hellmouth, and no Slayer.


Chapter 1: Secret Letters


Tara sighed, closing her eyes for just a moment before stepping out of the car. She'd never imagined her life would go this way. She pulled her keys from the ignition and swung the door open. She was supposed to have been a youth counselor, not a minimum-wage waitress. She stepped out of the car and closed the door behind her. She was supposed to marry her high school sweetheart, who would love her the rest of her life, not turn out to be gay and run off to San Francisco. She flipped her hand up over her shoulder and pressed the button to lock her car. She was supposed to have lived some of life by now, not still be struggling to get through every month. She strode through the front doors of her building and over to her mailbox. She wasn't supposed to be getting anonymous letters, and they definitely weren't supposed to be the best part of her life.

She smiled, reaching into the mailbox. Sitting in there was a pristine white envelope with no return address but a P.O. Box somewhere in Los Angeles. How strange it was to think about now, how much the letters had freaked her out at first. How much of a part of her life they were now.

Of course, she knew it was risky behaviour. She'd just started receiving these letters one day, and it had unnerved her, but the first was so eloquent, so... she pressed the button for the elevator, clinging the letter to her chest. She would wait to open it until she was upstairs, until she could sit in her comfy chair with a nice cup of tea and relax to the soothing words of "Red".

She didn't know this person's real name. She didn't even know if she was corresponding with a man or a woman, but she didn't really care. All she knew was that the first letter, received a year ago, about a month after Larry ran off to be a drag queen, touched her in a way she hadn't felt since high school.

She flicked the switch on her electric kettle and grabbed a hair clip from the bathroom counter, twisting her blonde tresses up into a knot and letting the butterfly clip hold it in place.

That first letter. Every now and then it popped into her head, and she could picture the page, the paper, lightly rose scented - something that made her think her correspondent was a female, and she preferred to think of whomever it was that way.

She closed her eyes and smiled, picturing what she must look like. Tara imagined her about her own height, and fair, with red hair and piercing green eyes. She wondered where her freckles would be. Would she have a few, or would they be everywhere, running rampant over her smooth, supple skin?

Sometimes she questioned why she'd been so attracted to a gay man.

Tara's kettle hit boiling and clicked off, and she smiled. Walking out into the kitchen, she grabbed a tea bag and dropped it in her favourite mug. She could stare at it for hours and never see the same thing twice in the swirls of red, blue, yellow and green that danced over the surface. Something about the mix of colours calmed her, balanced her, made her feel safe and stable. Most of her apartment was decorated in those colours. She'd even managed to make the blend of red and green look pretty and natural, instead of only Christmassy.

She flopped down into her big red overstuffed chair, legs over one arm, neck resting on the other, and pulled out the letter, sipping slowly at her tea. She put the mug down and slipped her finger in under the edge of the envelope, inching it along until she could rip her finger upwards, tearing the letter open.

Tara grinned to herself. Her own little violation, every single time. Really, did marrying a gay man say something about her? Was her subconscious telling her something? She shook her head and brought her eyes to the words on the page in front of her.


Good Afternoon, Beautiful,

Did you have a good day at work today? I suppose I won't really find out, since today is about a week before you'll get this, so did you have a good day a week from today? I hope that you did. Things have been crazy at work for me lately, we have a new project going out. I'm sorry that I can't tell you more about myself, but I hope that I will be able to very soon. Oh, that didn't sound creepy, did it? Because I don't mean it in a creepy way, at all! I just hope that someday, we'll be able to actually meet.

Are you sitting in your comfy chair while you read this? Are you nice and relaxed, with a cup of tea and some good music playing? I hope that you are. If you're not, you should put this letter down right away and finish it when you're there, because I doubt that you spend much time relaxing otherwise.

I'm right, aren't I? When you're not working at work, you're working at home, doing that proofreading thing, right? How's that going? I hope you're getting it to work for you, you deserve to be able to do something that you love, and if you can save the money to put yourself through school and reach your dream, more power to you! I wish you all the best of luck in that, as I'm sure you know.

Have you thought about getting a pet, or something? I feel a little bad, leaving you all alone down there in Sunnydale. Doesn't it get lonely for you since Buffy left? Is that why you keep yourself so busy, so you don't think about it? Oh, not that you have to be lonely! I mean, if you're okay being there all alone, then of course that's fine. Some people really like being alone, prefer it, in fact, so if that's you, that's fine, obviously...

Anyway, I think I'm just rambling now, and I'm on my break so I have to get back to work. I'll mail this on my way home, and then I'll probably sit down and re-read your last letter. I hope you sleep well, Tara, and get back to me soon. I always love getting your letters.

More yours than you know,
Red.



Tara let the paper slip from her fingers, a gentle smile on her face. She loved the little un-composed glimpses of Red that she got through her rambles. She supposed that she was a little lonely, but she was usually too busy between her work and her home business, trying to make ends meet, to really worry about it all that much.

Reaching down under her chair, she pulled out a small brown wooden box with a redwood heart inlaid in the center. It had been a gift from Red, just a little thing that had come in a small care package with her third letter. "Just something I found at a little gift shop," the letter said, "I thought you might like it. It's simple, but elegant, and it reminded me of you a little."

She slipped the letter into the box along with the fifteen, sixteen or so other letters that she'd memorized before slipping the box gently back under her chair. Red knew her so well. She'd never thought it was possible to get to know someone so intimately without ever meeting them face-to-face, but she'd learned otherwise. She felt drawn to Red, to the hints of her that came out in her writing, even though she so rarely said anything about herself.

But Tara knew her anyway. She knew that the one thing that pissed Red off more than anything was injustice. She knew that she'd always wanted to be a renowned computer programmer. She knew that she'd been a nerd in high school, picked on by the popular kids. She knew that Red herself didn't have more than one or two friends to speak of. She knew that Red was a bit of a health nut, like Tara herself, but with one major exception: mochas. She knew that she knew what Tara looked like, because she'd sent a picture, but Red hadn't sent one back. She imagined she had her reasons for not doing so, and she wondered briefly why it didn't make her nervous.

Tara pulled herself up out of her chair and headed into her bedroom to pen her reply.

_________________
Don't you sit upon the shoreline and say you're satisfied, choose to chance the rapids, and dare to dance the tides - Garth Brooks, "the River"


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 1:07 am 
Offline
29. Miss Psycho-pep-squad
User avatar

Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2007 9:57 am
Posts: 5069
Topics: 1
Location: Halfway to anywhere, citizen of Kitopia
Ooooh interesting to say the least :o

_________________
|| Fanart...sort of || Short poetry || A little bit of smut never hurt anyone | Nothing left | Promise || Text ||

When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew. -Arrigo Boito


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 9:50 am 
Offline
10. Troll Hammer

Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2005 2:08 pm
Posts: 1163
Topics: 1
Location: Easton PA
Rather different in terms of Tara's mental state, exploring the things she doesn't *quite* realize yet. And that was "things" plural with intent.

Nothing against high school stories but I'm glad Chapter 1 was just a rpeldue. Which conencts to the song; there the high school elements wwere prelude too.

_________________
Snapshots:http://thekittenboard.com/board/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=10210 a Love Story
____________________________________________________________
Kim: (breaks off the kissing) I l... (Sue stops her with a hand)
Sue: We don't talk about things like that right after, you know that, no saying those things in The Moment.
Kim: (moves the hand aside) Screw The Moment. I *love* you.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Fri Jun 19, 2009 12:49 pm 
Offline
6. Sassy Eggs

Joined: Mon May 21, 2007 8:53 pm
Posts: 490
Location: Whitstable, UK
Sweet, like a cyber-relationship but with letters instead of e-mails. LOL about Larry.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 5:49 pm 
Offline
6. Sassy Eggs
User avatar

Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2005 12:16 pm
Posts: 403
Location: Right Behind You
Jay: I'm glad you think so!

DaddyCatALSO: Well yes, that was the point. I wanted to explore both the idea of Tara figuring it out late in life, and the idea of it NOT being a particularly difficult experience, but merely something she needs to learn about herself. Well, several things, as you said.

Taralover: I always thought traditional, handwritten letters had a certain romantic aspect that could be applied far more easily than to an email. Glad you're enjoying the story!

_________________
Don't you sit upon the shoreline and say you're satisfied, choose to chance the rapids, and dare to dance the tides - Garth Brooks, "the River"


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 5:52 pm 
Offline
6. Sassy Eggs
User avatar

Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2005 12:16 pm
Posts: 403
Location: Right Behind You
NOTICE:

Unfortunately, I have no update prepared at this time. It's about half-written, and I had to take a short break from it for a camping trip that was, effectively, my 21st birthday party.

I'm hoping to have the next chapter very soon, hopefully within the next few days. I appreciate your patience, and I promise the next chapter will be well worth the wait!

_________________
Don't you sit upon the shoreline and say you're satisfied, choose to chance the rapids, and dare to dance the tides - Garth Brooks, "the River"


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 6:03 pm 
Offline
6. Sassy Eggs

Joined: Mon May 21, 2007 8:53 pm
Posts: 490
Location: Whitstable, UK
*gives you the birthday present that you want*


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 1:54 pm 
Offline
4. Extra Flamey
User avatar

Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 5:26 pm
Posts: 150
Location: Big Stone Gap, Va
wow sweet story i can't wait for more

_________________
I love women. With skin so soft, women are head to toe cashmere.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 5:50 pm 
Offline
3. Flaming O
User avatar

Joined: Tue Dec 23, 2008 11:47 pm
Posts: 88
Location: Minnesota
ooo I love the new story! :pinky I can't wait for more willow/tara action!


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Tue Jul 28, 2009 6:42 pm 
Offline
3. Flaming O
User avatar

Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 10:27 am
Posts: 70
Location: Miami, or Kitopia, either way works
^^ I'm really enjoying this fic, and really wondering to where it will lead. Ah, was Willow really that small in highschool that Tara didn't notice her? Shame on Tara. And, yes, marrying a gay man does mean something. ^^ I hope you update soon! :D

_________________
"Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth." - Oscar Wilde
_______________________________________

"And I'm gonna Amen you all over again, 'cause I can't draw for shit!" - Laragh


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Tue Aug 04, 2009 9:37 am 
Offline
3. Flaming O
User avatar

Joined: Sun May 28, 2006 3:25 pm
Posts: 124
Topics: 2
Location: some where over the rainbow
Hey! This story is truly great and I would really like you to contintue with this story. Well thanks and I can't wait till Tara figures out who Red is.

_________________
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen, not touched.
But are felt in the heart.
Helen Keller


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 10:14 am 
Offline
6. Sassy Eggs
User avatar

Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2005 12:16 pm
Posts: 403
Location: Right Behind You
Holy crap! No update, and still a whole bunch of feedback anyway! I feel so loved <3

Anyway, due to a whole crapload of stress and a lot of ongoing projects, it's taken me quite a long time to finish this chapter, and I'm sorry for that. It's finished now, however, and will be posted shortly. But first! Some replies.

Taralover: Awww, thank you! <3

WolfDragonGod: Good thing more's on it's way, hmm?

Anlorew: Well, I'm not sure how long it's going to take to get to the real W/T smoochies, but I promise it'll be well worth the wait ;)

Star Catcher: Nice username! Yes, Willow was that small in high school. The idea is that I've inserted Tara into Willow and Xander's lives, and put Buffy in there early enough to change the course of events; Willow's life is, effectively, no different at all, nor is Xander's, because Buffy and Tara never became part of their group. So, during high school, Tara didn't particularly notice her, as Willow was on the bottom rung of the social scale - popular only amongst the unpopular kids - and Tara was on the highest, as a cheerleader. She never intentionally passed over her, though, as we'll find out soon... :D

guitar_girl: Aw, thanks! I fully intend to continue with this story, though there's so much going on in my life right now, I can't guarantee any sort of regularity to the updates. I guess you'll just have to keep on checking in! ;)

Thank you, everyone, for the wonderful comments! And now, for our next update...

_________________
Don't you sit upon the shoreline and say you're satisfied, choose to chance the rapids, and dare to dance the tides - Garth Brooks, "the River"


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Sat Aug 08, 2009 10:19 am 
Offline
6. Sassy Eggs
User avatar

Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2005 12:16 pm
Posts: 403
Location: Right Behind You
To Get Your Attention

By Naeryn Stratford
Disclaimer: All characters copyright Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy, no infringement intended.
Summary: AU. Willow and Tara both attended Sunnydale high together. Tara had a place on the cheerleading squad, and Willow was the head nerd. Also, there are no vampires, no Hellmouth, and no Slayer.
Author's Note: This chapter is fairly short, but it should prove to be intense. This seemed a good place to end it, and I didn't want to wait another two weeks to get the update out. The chapters SHOULD lengthen as the story goes on...


Chapter 2: Fear


"So, what are you gonna do, Will?"

"I really don't know, Xander." Willow sighed into the phone, letting herself drop into the back of her recliner. Tara's most recent letter sat open on her lap, Willow's fingers toying lightly with the corner. "She says she wants to meet me... Should I do it? Should I go back to Sunnydale?"

"Well, I wouldn't mind seeing you, for one. Plus, isn't this what you've been waiting for?"

Lifting her hand to pinch the bridge of her nose, Willow nodded slowly. Then, realizing Xander couldn't possibly see her, "Yes, it is."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I don't know. I guess I'm just nervous. I don't know what's going to happen, now." She sighed again, heavily. "What if she recognizes me and remembers? Or what if she's totally forgotten?" She rapped the tips of her fingers against the arm of her chair. "And what do I do if she remembers, but she doesn't care? Or if she's angry with me? Oh, Xander, what if she's angry with me!?"

"Whoa, whoa, Will, calm down. Breathe, girl. One, two, in, out..." She relaxed, automatically following Xander's familiar guidance. "Better? Okay. First of all, I don't think that she'll have forgotten. That's not the kind of thing you forget, Will. I don't think she'll be mad, either. I mean, this is Tara - she of the even temper and 'forgiving heart'. I'll bet she gets it more than you think, or at least she will when she knows who you are, because let's face it, Will, you've been seriously keeping her in the dark, there."

Willow huffed. "Xander! You know I had to."

"Hey, I'm not judging, Will. Witness me of no judgment. Wait..." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, all I meant was, she doesn't know who you are, anything about you. So it's hard to say. If anything, I'd think she'd be angry about you keeping her in the dark about your identity..."

"What was I supposed to tell her, Xander? 'Oh, hey, it's that chick that practically stalked you in high school. Remember me? I think we had a moment at one point. Anyway, wanna hook up?' How creepy does that sound?" She shook her head vehemently, gripping and releasing the arm of her recliner in rhythm.

"Will! Calm! Jeez. You're freaking out over nothing, Will, because I don't think she'll be angry about that, either. And you didn't stalk her any more than I stalked Buffy. We just... acted out, that's all. We were kids." His voice was light, buoying Willow's spirits a little. "And if anything constitutes a "moment", that night definitely does."

"Are you sure?" Willow's voice broke, and she fought back her tears. Why is it that any mention of high school still nearly brought her to her knees? It wasn't as if she hadn't tried for years to get over Tara.

"Yeah, Will. I'm sure. So come see me and Ahn, you'll crash on our couch, you'll have coffee with your crush, and we'll... uh... ceilidhe*?"

"How is it that you couldn't get into university, but you know how to say 'party' in sixteen languages?"

"It's where my interests lie. Go take a bath, Will, light your aromawhatsit candles and take a book in with you. Some scientific journal or something. Relax for awhile. And then pack your bags, because you didn't do all of this, and come this far, to crap out now."

With a faint smile on her face, Willow nodded and muttered a quick affirmative and an "I love you, Xander," before hanging up.

[center]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[/center]

"Mmmm..." Willow sank down, letting the lavender and rose-scented water drift around her chin as she tilted her head back and closed her eyes. This was her second favourite place in the world, and the best she'd ever actually experienced. She had her suspicions, of course, about what sort of a place might take the first slot on that list.

She stretched out, grinning at the fact that her toes barely made contact with the other end of her large claw-foot porcelain tub. She spread her arms as far as she could within the confines of the bathtub, letting them drift away from her sides as she willed her body into calm relaxation. This had been her special gift to herself, when she'd landed the job that pulled her from a small-time computer repair shop in Sunnydale to CompuTron, the big tech company that now had her pulling in $120, 000 a year. Despite her substantial paycheques, she lived a life of small luxuries and almost no large ones; instead, she indulged herself rarely and put most of her cash into investments, hoping that one day she'd have need of enough money to buy a house.

She thought over Tara's last letter, some of her words bringing colour to Willow's cheeks. "Don't worry, you didn't sound creepy at all. Actually, I've been hoping that we might be able to meet... very soon." She could almost hear Tara's musical voice as she worked the sentence over in her mind. At first, she would be reassuring - "You didn't sound creepy..." - and then a hopeful tone, with a hint of... something. That strange quality that was uniquely Tara. Willow didn't know exactly what it was, perhaps mischievousness, perhaps... she really didn't know what. All she knew was that suddenly, she was impatient to hear that voice, to reassure herself that she hadn't made Tara up in her entirety.

"I suppose I have been a little bit lonely since Buffy left, but she'll be back soon. I was so surprised when she joined the Army; she's always been strong and athletic, but she got so upset when the aptitude tests in high school placed her in police work. Maybe you should come and keep me company - for awhile, I wouldn't want to keep you away from work." Again, that strange quality. Willow shook her head and sank down further, until she was almost totally submerged. So that was it, then. She had to go see if there had been any point to this entire venture; if she really stood a chance with the girl she'd wanted since her first day of school.

Choking down the hope she refused to let well up inside of her just yet, she heaved herself out of the tub and went to email her boss, and find out how soon she could get a week off of work.


*Gaelic word for 'party'.

_________________
Don't you sit upon the shoreline and say you're satisfied, choose to chance the rapids, and dare to dance the tides - Garth Brooks, "the River"


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 5:21 pm 
Offline
13. Big Knowledge Woman
User avatar

Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2005 10:42 pm
Posts: 1741
Location: Iowa City, Iowa
Always nice to spend some some quality time with this story now that it has gotten my attention and won't let go.

_________________
I can deny chicks in chainmail nothing.
Amberhol-from the land of sky blue waters.
No Mere Music Hall, This my novel available directly from rosestindog@gmail.com.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 3:15 am 
Offline
29. Miss Psycho-pep-squad
User avatar

Joined: Mon Nov 05, 2007 9:57 am
Posts: 5069
Topics: 1
Location: Halfway to anywhere, citizen of Kitopia
Oooh yay update :D *strange* quality? Ya know Will, that it will have you in her arms in no time? Pwetty pweasee!

_________________
|| Fanart...sort of || Short poetry || A little bit of smut never hurt anyone | Nothing left | Promise || Text ||

When I saw you I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew. -Arrigo Boito


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Mon Aug 10, 2009 4:10 am 
Offline
32. Kisses and Gay Love
User avatar

Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2005 12:35 pm
Posts: 9572
Topics: 7
Location: Texas, Y'all
Wow. Well, if I can get past the kind of creepy of the premise and stop asking myself why Tara would respond to these letters, it's really sweet. I really wonder what kind of "moment" W/T almost had in high school. Interesting.

_________________
Menorah Tales | Working It Out | Random Bits


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Sat Aug 15, 2009 3:56 pm 
Offline
3. Flaming O
User avatar

Joined: Tue Dec 23, 2008 11:47 pm
Posts: 88
Location: Minnesota
Wow I totally missed the update here...sorry! I was just thinking about this story this morning while I was on my couch, and I thought, "Wow I haven't read that story in a while. I should reread or something." So I came on and looked for it and was pleasantly suprised to see the "new" update! Anyways, I love it. And like Debra, I'm curious as to what the "moment" was between them. I'm sure we'll find out soon. Can't wait!


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Mon Aug 24, 2009 1:46 pm 
Offline
6. Sassy Eggs

Joined: Mon May 21, 2007 8:53 pm
Posts: 490
Location: Whitstable, UK
A little creepy but otherwise really sweet and great to read.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 11:34 pm 
Offline
4. Extra Flamey
User avatar

Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 5:26 pm
Posts: 150
Location: Big Stone Gap, Va
yay's i can't wait for more.

_________________
I love women. With skin so soft, women are head to toe cashmere.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Wed Sep 09, 2009 3:04 am 
Offline
19. Yummy Face
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2007 5:19 pm
Posts: 2943
Location: Kaskinen, Finland, citizen of Kitopia
I hope there is update-y goodness comming soon..

_________________
We few, we happy few. We band of buggered.

Posting While Nude Improves Your Mood.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 3:51 pm 
Offline
3. Flaming O
User avatar

Joined: Tue Dec 23, 2008 11:47 pm
Posts: 88
Location: Minnesota
I do too...please update? I miss this story...

:pray


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Sun Sep 20, 2009 7:41 pm 
Offline
6. Sassy Eggs
User avatar

Joined: Sun Apr 24, 2005 12:16 pm
Posts: 403
Location: Right Behind You
taralicious: I'm glad it has! Thanks for reading and reviewing!

jay/wt4evr: Oh, soon. At least, within-story soon...

JustSkipIt: Hey! I'm seeing a lot of comments about the creepiness of the premise, but don't worry - there are a lot of reasons that I haven't gotten into yet. Tara most definitely has a reason for responding.

Anlorew: Oh yes, flashback chapters, letter chapters, and new updates are ALL on their way!

Taralover: I'm glad people are getting past the creep factor; it really will be downplayed soon.

WolfDragonGod: I'm glad you're enjoying the story!

Zampsa1975: Oh, I do hope so too. I'm working on it, it's just coming along very slowly, unfortunately.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I would like to sincerely apologize for my absences from this thread. I am still working on this story, and plan to continue doing so. Unfortunately, I have several projects underway and am currently living in a very awkward and stressful situation, so my creative juices haven't exactly been as flowy as one would desire. But an update will be on it's way, and I hope that some of you will stick around to read it!

_________________
Don't you sit upon the shoreline and say you're satisfied, choose to chance the rapids, and dare to dance the tides - Garth Brooks, "the River"


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: To Get Your Attention
PostPosted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 2:20 pm 
Offline
4. Extra Flamey
User avatar

Joined: Tue Feb 20, 2007 5:26 pm
Posts: 150
Location: Big Stone Gap, Va
its okay take your time with the update i am sure we can wait for such a great story

_________________
I love women. With skin so soft, women are head to toe cashmere.


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 29 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 8 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 32 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  

W/T Love 24/7 since July 2000
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group