Author: SnoopyDancer (Jenn)
Summary: Tara moves to Sunnydale, and starts to make new friends and enemies. AU.
Disclaimer: Not mine! They belong to Joss.
Notes: Um...this is my first fic, so sorry if it sucks!
______
Tara was nervous. No, the word ‘nervous’ didn’t even seem to cover it. She was terrified.
It was her first day at Sunnydale High after moving from Alabama with her mother and elder brother, Donnie. She was glad that she left Alabama; she’d gotten away from her father, and the bullies at her old school that picked on her and Sunnydale seemed like a nice place. But still, she was terrified. How would the kids at Sunnydale High react to the shy, stuttering new girl? It was the middle of Sophomore Year, and no doubt everyone would have their own clique of friends and nobody would want to get to know Tara. And if anyone did talk to her, what was there to like about her, anyway? She was quiet and mousy, and her brother Donnie always said she was boring, so who would want to be friends with a geek like her?
Donnie’s loud voice interrupted her thoughts. “Yo, Tara, come on!” he shouted from outside where he stood by his car. “If you don’t hurry up, you’ll be walking to school!”
Tara sighed, and picked up her bag from where it lay on the floor by the front door. As she was heading outside, her mom called her back inside for a hug.
“Have a good day, sweetie,” she smiled, kissing Tara on the forehead. “Pay no attention to what Donnie says, you’ll do fine.”
“Thanks, Mama,” Tara tried to produce a smile to match her mothers, but it was a poor imitation. Donnie’s car horn blared from outside, signalling for Tara to get a move on. Tara hitched her bag over her shoulder and walked down to the car and got in the passengers seat beside her brother.
“’Bout damn time,” Donnie grumbled, reversing out of the driveway and then heading towards the school. Tara stayed quiet throughout the journey, staring out of the window, thinking about how her first day could go horribly wrong. Finally, they arrived at Sunnydale High. Tara got out of the car, and Donnie faced her.
“I’ll meet you here at the end of school,” Donnie told her. “Don’t be late, ‘cause I’m not hanging about waiting for you. Got it?”
“Got it,” Tara mumbled.
Donnie was about to walk off, when he turned back to his sister as if he had forgotten something. “Have a nice day,” he grunted, as though saying something pleasant to Tara was hard work.
Tara watched him walk away, and then faced the front of the school. Kids were milling around, laughing and talking to each other, and Tara’s heart sank. Everyone had friends. Everyone except her. She had never been very popular in Alabama. She only had one friend, Kendra, who stuck up for her when people bullied her, but now Kendra wasn’t here, and Tara was alone, and there was no one to protect her from bullies.
With this knowledge in her head, Tara sighed and walked up the steps to the front doors. She was so busy worrying about how others would react to her that she didn’t concentrate on where she was going and bumped into a girl, causing them to drop their books.
“Oh, I am s-s-so s-s-sorry!” Tara squeaked, blushing as she bent down to help the girl gather her books.
She picked up a History book, and read the name on the front: Willow Rosenberg. For the first time, Tara glanced up at the girl. And the nervous butterflies in her stomach she had been feeling before turned into bats. She was the most beautiful girl Tara had ever seen! Red hair that gleamed as the sun fell on it, twinkling green eyes and a smile that practically made Tara swoon.
“No problem,” Willow grinned. “It’s my fault. I was thinking about a test we have this morning, so not really thinking about where I was going. And I do carry a lot of books. I’m Willow, by the way.”
“T-T-Tara,” said the blonde, cursing her stuttering. Why did she always have to act like a complete clumsy dork? And why did she have to act like it infront of very, very cute girls?
Realising she still held Willow’s History book, she handed it to the redhead. As Willow reached out to take it back, their hands brushed against each others. Blushing even more, Tara ducked her head.
“You’re new here, aren’t you?” Willow guessed. “You don’t look very familiar. I mean, not that I know everyone in the school, but I think I’d remember if I’d seen you before."
Tara frowned. Did she mean that in a good way or a bad way? Hoping it was in a good way, she nodded. “Y-yes I’m new here…f-f-from Alabama. It’s my f-first day.”
Willow’s eyes lit up. “Great! I can show you around! Um, I mean…if you want me to show you around. I’ll understand if you want me to go away, because, hello, you’ve only just met me and you might find me annoying because I talk too much. Everyone’s always telling me I babble and…um…I’ll be quiet now.”
Tara laughed, starting to feel relaxed. “I’d love it if you’d s-sh-show me around,” she said honestly, and Willow’s dazzling smile was in place again.
Both girls stood up just as the bell rang. Tara followed Willow into the building, smiling. Maybe the first day of school wasn’t as bad as Tara had imagined.
_________
Okay, how bad was it? Shall I just leave now and leave the story-writing to those that are actually GOOD at it?
~Jenn
Edited by: SnoopyDancer at: 7/10/04 6:37 am
will be more than just a someone or a friend hehehe
) Lol. Anyway, really liking this story so far. Not bad at all
Can't wait to read some more.
. Love sam xx 
But more news asap, right?
.
BWR 
Really love this. Gotta love that instant attraction... Willow's got it bad!! Not paying attention in class?!
It makes the mind boggle.... can't wait for more!!
.if there were ever a scene on the show where willow actually got to watch tara slip into a top on the show...
willow would of lost it for sure. and
is a
.well done