|
TITLE: True Colors of Love
AUTHOR: Nue
RATE: PG-13, I think…
DISCLAIMER: Not mine… I wish, I know I could do a LOT better, but still not mine…
SUMMARY: Tara and her mother just moved to Sunnydale and the Scooby gang had to face the Mayor.. I suck at summaries, I know…
SPOILERS: This one is about Tara being in Sunnydale High during S3, … I really like S3 and when I got my dvds last month, I couldn´t stop thinking about this…
FEEDBACK: oh, I´d like that a lot ^^
AUTHOR´S NOTE 1: The schools mentioned here are real and beautiful places, they do an amazing work and I would like more schools like that all around the world, especially here in my country.
AUTHOR´S NOTE 2: Thanks to my BFF Stellar, who loves W/T a lot. Thanks for everything ^^ And a HUGE thanks to my beta, Thomas (aka Taralover), who helped me a LOT with this piece and for being an incredible friend!
Chapter 1
At that hour, the streets and sidewalks close to the school were taken by students and teachers, as well as of parents that took their embarrassed children to the school, the buses in the door of the school, from where several adolescents jumped... it was like this every beginning of September and in that it would not be different...
It was well-known the freshmen's fear, newly out of the Junior High and now tends to face the 'almost-adult' world, to have to adapt there, in that building where the next four years of their lives would pass... and well-known the sensation of freedom that sprouted in the faces of the senior ones... to feel that in little time they would be free from the school forever, without needing more to worry with that small hell called 'high school' and it was little the time that you/they separated them of the adult life...
'The youth's foolishness.. Always thinking they have the whole time of the world and with hurry of growing, damned hormonal bombs... ' Principal Snyder thought, his summer had been so calm without all those brats... of course had finished earlier, he was an excellent professional and had been informed by the School Board that on that new school year he would have a transferred student and that for that he had demonstrated his efficiency summoning the whole staff two weeks before the classes begin, they would have to prepare the school for his/her arrival.. That too meant that the school budge would increase. Summarizing, problems with budget, never again!
Ok, it had not been good to do all those changes, but it was necessary, to prove to mayor Wilkins that Sunnydale High School was not behind to any other school of the county and that he had been the best choice for the position. He was capable to maintain a firm direction in the middle that it was that insanity that all knew that they lived if treating of a city as Sunnydale, but nobody had courage of saying anything.. At least aloud.
There, in the top of the staircase that gave access to the building of the school, Cecil Snyder waited.. He was a tiny man, bald and he wasn’t beautiful. But he knew that the power he had, and their connections wit h the mayor were enough to be feared by the students and respected by the employees. Of course had exceptions, as that conceited English librarian to know everything or Buffy Summers and her mob that she called friends. But nor they were problem now. He personally signed the expulsion of Buffy and without her, the rest of the group had been much calmer. 'Damned agitator... ' he hated indiscipline. And as hated Buffy Summers even more.
When he saw the red Bonneville park in front of the school, he knew that his new student had arrived. He knew that her presence there was a mark. Of course not to the school, or for the students, at least for the teachers. But for his own benefit before the mayor. He waited impatiently as the occupants of the car jumped and they walked in his direction with extreme slowness, the woman guiding the daughter by the hand, while she spoke something that he didn't get to hear.
"Principal Snyder? Claire Maclay, we talked on the telephone." The woman, about 40 years old, extended her unoccupied hand to the man, as soon as she and the daughter reached him . Snyder looked at her fast, checking her calm features, and her blue eyes transmitted a serenity that he knew how not to exist more in any other resident of Sunnydale. The blond hair fall as cascades for her backs, combining with the clear dress that she used. It should be one of those new-age moms, he thought, while it fastened the glance in the girl beside her. The girl, a version of the woman's 17 years, maintained her head down, she seemed embarrassed or better, afraid with his presence.. It was good, that transferred student knew already who he was and that while she was there, if she was not careful, he would do a hell of her life.
After they had introduced themselves to him, Snyder accompanied Claire and the daughter until he reached his office, In an egg white disposition of wanting to show his power on the students, he screamed orders to them, that they didn't run in the corridors, or that they were directly going to the classrooms. Claire smiled, the school was not different from another that it had visited, but it was the only in the area that had accepted her daughter, then she could not want a lot.. it seemed a good place, a safe atmosphere for her little Tara...
Claire knew that she was a bit over protective, she took care of the daughter since the doctors gave her diagnose of total blindness due to a congenital flaw in the optical nerve, when Tara had only 6 months old. Out a hard blow, to know that that little smart baby would never see the beautiful colors of the world, but Claire stayed strong. Her husband, on the other hand, had not accepted well announce them. He never wanted a second child, he was a simple man and without patience and he thought Donnie already caused problems too much, he raised the boy to be one more worker in the family’s farm.
Before the marriage, Donald was a good man. He was nice and polite, but after his father’s death and he had left him responsible for the lands, forcing him to give up on his dreams, making him left Law School to turn into a farmer, he turned a bitter man and full of rage. To know that Tara was blind was alone one more reason to dislike the girl, she didn't have strength to help in the tasks as Donnie and not be able to see, and she was even more useless.
The woman was not stupid... She had tired of years seeing the girl suffer in that insensitive man's hands. It was time of giving one is enough in that situation. She sent the girl to the South Carolina School for the Blind , what appeased the fury of the husband for some time, Tara only went back home in weekends. The most common occasion was Claire to drive the two hours that separated her of her daughter, she wanted to avoid that Tara stayed at such a fateful house, because the girl had such a pure soul, she was so sweet and kind, she was really difficult of believing that Donald had to do something with her, that it was his blood that ran in her veins.
The one that she didn't count was that Donald transferred for the wife the fury that he felt... The beatings were frequent and every time that she visit her daughter, no matter how much she tried to hide of the world the marks, Tara always knew. It is because of her that Claire had asked for the divorce, because of her that they were on the other side of the country, trying to redo their lives in a small one and ignored city as Sunnydale...
It had been a complex change, but anything that some will of to forget the whole past and to begin everything again in Sunnydale it didn't help... She had some savings and her parents helped when she announced that she was leaving Donald once and for all. It was very complicated to discover a place where she and Tara could resume, but when one of her friends, from the same Wiccan group that she frequented when she was young, had informed20her that Uncle Bob's Magic Cabinet was for sale for his owner's mysterious death, Claire had not thought twice and she had made an offer that, even low, it couldn’t be refused. Sunnydale was known by the strange occurrences and better place didn't exist for a witch as Claire recomposes her life cut into pieces as owner of a magic store.
When they arrived to the city, a few weeks ago, Claire soon had felt the energy of the place and she noticed that there would not be better place for her and Tara. The woman had stopped practicing and had gotten married, Donald had never liked those supernatural things and thought they were 'unnatural' like he once told her, but after her daughter had been born, Claire could not stop passing to the girl the traditions that were last for generations in her family. And she was very satisfied when she noticed the girl's potential. Tara could not see, but she had an outstanding empathy capacity. Maybe it was the Nature trying to compensate for the fact of the girl's eyes not to work.
While Tara got ready to begin the Senior Year in Sunnydale High School, the first time that the young girl was at a ‘normal school , the two worked in the recently acquired store. The first thing that they did was to change the name, none of them had any 'Uncle Bob'.. The idea of the name was 'The Magic Box' -it had fallen as a glove and after weeks of hard work, the store was ready to be reopen to the public. Claire had studied the accounting books eagerly, the lists of suppliers and of customers and she had noticed that would not be difficult to prosper there. They got a house not very far away from the school. The store was located in Maple Court, not far from their home.
A new life was beginning for the Maclay girls... While she heard Principal Snyder talking about the benefits of the school, more to praise his own capacity as principal, Claire faced her daughter, smiling.. Tara was growing and walking to wide steps to turn a strong and independent woman and she hoped that the experience in a school like that was valid. There, the girl could already try the real world, the years that had passed at the School for Blind were excellent, but for being a day-boarding school, she felt that her daughter had been a little moved away from real life. It was a cruel world, she knew about that... And she wanted Tara to understand that soon.. The girl had an incredible adaptation capacity and being smart, Claire knew that she soon would cross that obstacle easily...
***
Willow Rosenberg never saw herself as a strong woman... She still didn't see herself as a woman. In her short 17 years of life, she knew she still had a long course to travel before the adult life.. Willow always saw herself as an inadequate girl, very shy and a true bookworm. Besides Xander and Jesse, she never had close friends during the childhood until she arrived at High School.
She knew that she was seen as a nerd whose clothes were chosen by her motherOf course that didn't matter a lot, she had never insisted on being popular, or to have dozens of boys at her feet. She only wanted to pass that phase and toreach another, as in the games that she played when she was young. Willow had always thought that it was better to be in the middle of the crowd than to be under the spotlights. Nobody had paid attention to her, and she was okay like this.
Until Buffy Summers's arrival... Buffy saw underneath her inadequate exterior and she saw an intelligent girl, with a quirky sense of humor, loyal and reliable. And being her friend, Buffy helped Willow to overcome certain traumas, to leave under the mother's shadow and to see the light as the beautiful girl that she was... beside Buffy, Willow felt more confident, she felt capable to hug the world, to touch the skies if she made an effort...
But now, Buffy had disappeared a little before the beginning of the summer, Willow felt lost... She still had Xander, her faithful friend from the kindergarten, and she still had Giles, which was more than a librarian, and he was almost as a father. Without Buffy, it fell to them the mission of protecting Sunnydale of the supernatural threats, of the creatures that haunted the dark alleys. It was risky, it was complicated, but it was a duty that she didn't complain in having... it was a good fight and Willow felt well being part of her. Finally, it felt that she had a purpose in her life and even far away, Buffy had shown her that.
She missed the friend's.. there were things that she could not tell Xander .It was things that he didn't have an understanding of, 'girl's things' and without the Slayer around, Willow saw herself lost again... of course Buffy had had their reasons to leave... what had happened with Angel had not been easy for her, Willow got to understand that... But the sensation of it being abandoned didn't leave her chest. Even understanding the situation, the redhead could not stop feeling abandoned, left in a cruel world again...
But now, with the end of the summer vacations, it was a time of giving, a new step. She had arrived at the last year of the school and taking into account the fact in that she lived in a city as Sunnydale, she had celebrated the fact of being alive. After the death of Jesse, she had entered i n a spiral of quiet depression, now she knew the reasons of the city to have the highest rate of disappearances of the country..
Maybe the ignorance was a blessing at all. But she was thankful in knowing of the truth.. She felt more mature, almost an adult now.. She was happy in knowing that, if the people could sleep safe, it was because of what she did. And she felt useful, as never had felt before in the life. If before she was only a straight A student, computer geek, now she was a powerful witch! Ok, 'powerful' it was not the right word, but she was learning.. And learning was Willow´s favorite hobby.
She walked confidently inside the school building, maybe she had a time to see Giles and Xander before the first period. To have an update of the situation and to find out20what would do after the school. Maybe they had news of Buffy.
* * *
Claire had insisted on being with Tara while the classes didn't begin, but the girl asked that her mother went to the store, the reopening would be today and the one that she didn't want was her mother arriving late in the first day of work. Tara knew that her mother could be extremely protective, even more in a new atmosphere, and Tara still didn't know the place.
But soon she was sorry for saying that to her mother.
Being alone with Principal Snyder had not been a good idea, the man had a bad, negative aura.. Tara had decided that she didn't like him and, although she knew that for his position he would have to take care of her, she could feel Snyder wasn´t pleased about that responsibility. He made dozens of questions, almost personal to her and embarrassed, Tara tried to answer them all. She knew people were curious about her and maybe the mother was right. Tara needed to leave the bubble of protection of the other school, to begin to understand the real world and to learn to live in it.. Her mother could not protect her forever.
She heard the door behind her to open up and she felt two people entering. She was thankful for the interruption. If she could avoid it, Tara would be never again alone with that frightening man.
"Oh, Mr. Giles." Snyder spoke, in his habitual harsh tone, he didn't like the Englishman, but he had to admit, he was making good work in the library. Before the place was empty all the time and since Giles had assumed the position, there were always students there. “Did you finished the task or was it too much for you? " his tone was of a false concern, the truth was that he was intimidated by the other man and something that he didn't like was feeling like this...
"Yes, I finished the print last night, Ms. Lee helped me to bring the books." Giles answered, giving passage to the Asian woman that stood beside him.. She seemed about early 30s and she was shorter than Giles. And she could be easily confused with one of the students, with her dark jeans and the purple shirt . The Englishman's eyes rested in the girl in front of him, she faced him with a certain curiosity. Tara could see the kindness that emanated off the man, and she felt she could trust him. She didn't know him, but she felt that, she felt that the man inn front of her was endowed with a concern with the others around him, and he was smart and wise.
She smiled at him. Since she was really young, she could see people's souls... she could feel their auras breezes, to feel what they felt... of course didn't substitute her eyes, but it was better than to face the world completely in the dark... She had known a lot of people in the school who were completely dependent due to their conditions and to be capable to see, at least on the people, helped her to face the world. Tara didn't know the real reason about being capable to do that, maybe it was her mother's blood running in her veins.
"Mr. Giles is our librarian" Snyder explained, facing Lee. The woman was the newest member of school staff, hired exclusively to help Tara in the studies. When School Board received Claire's request on her daughter's transfer, they tried to figure out what they could do to receive such a special student, to open doors for all the other students, as Tara, needed special attention. And as Lee had worked in the California School for Blind, she was the obvious choice. Having blind parents, Michelle Lee had always wanted to feel useful for the society, to help the youths with that deficiency, to give to them the cha nce of a normal life. Been born and raised in Sunnydale, she went back to the city after the mother's death to take care of her young brother and before being contacted by the Board, she was working in the transcription of school books for Braille.
“Being responsible for our books, it´s his mission turning your studies here easier" the man got up of his chair behind the table, there was his domain, there he had all the power. Giles didn't like the other man's tone, he seemed almost... cordial, and that was strange coming from Snyder. "Ms. Lee had done all the work, I only helped a little." He was humble, receiving an almost affectionate glance from the woman to his side.
Tara rose, leaning on in the chair to safety. In an unknown place as the director's room, she still felt a little lost. " If you don't mind, I will take Tara to my office, we still have so me minutes before the classes begin and I want her to know a little of the school before the place gets completely full." The girl removed the cane from within of the backpack, unfolding it. She touched the space in front of her and smiled in Lee's direction, she was ready to go. "Then go to the library later to read the books" Snyder spoke, noticing that Giles didn´t left and probably he would like to talk about Buffy
* * *
“No news about her?”
Willow crossed her arms and pouted, murmuring an almost incomprehensible answer to her friend who was sitting in the stone table that decorated the school patio. “This means we will have to continue patrolling? " the boy spoke almost afraid, as he knew that was important to maintain surveillance the supernatural activities of the city, but he had to admit, without Buffy, their chance to being killed, or even worse was very high.. “That was 3 months ago, Will... Isn´t it time for we begin to seek for her? "
The redhead didn't seem to hear him. She was staring at the other side of the patio, where a blond girl crossed the field beside an Asian woman. The two seemed to talk animatedly, although Willow didn't get to hear what they spoke. She only knew that something inside of her seemed to boil, and screamed for attention. Without understanding what was happening, she never had felt like this before any other person, and for somebody that she had never seen before, she asked the friend on her side, not paying attention in what he was talking about.
"Who is that girl? "
_________________ - Proud Warrant Officer of the Kitten Army - Semper WillTarus!! - My Heart Draws a DreamTrue Colors of LoveA Crazy Little Thing Called Mutation
Last edited by Nue on Thu Sep 10, 2009 9:38 am, edited 3 times in total.
|
Login
FAQ
Search
Can't wait to read more.
I can't wait for more updates!
