Title: Sunnydale Elementary

Author: Margie

Rating: G

Pairing: B/S, X/A, W/T (friendship - they're only in the 3^rd grade people!)

Summary: What if the gang had met back in 3^rd grade? AU, everybody's human. Giles is Spike's dad.

Disclaimer: Own nothing. Joss owns all.

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Chapter 14 -

Willow dropped Tara's hand as they moved out from behind the curtain. Tara threw her a shy supportive smile.

They were up first so had been at the head of the line. Willow stepped out into the center of the stage and felt her whole body tense. Her eyes swept the room and her mind went blank at all the people staring back at her.

'Oh no, oh no!' She thought.

Tara saw Willow's face going bright red, her eyes blinking rapidly. She decided to improvise since it didn't seem like Willow was going to say her line.

"What are you doing here wicked witch?" Tara demanded. Her usual stutter missing as she got into her part.

Willow's eyes snapped to Tara's as her mind registered the question. Tara flashed her a smile so quick she didn't think anyone else had seen it.

"I'm h-here for the girl!" Willow gestured with her hand, indicating a Dorothy that wasn't in view. And letting out the evil cackle she had been practicing for weeks.

Xander and Anya were watching from stage left as Willow and Tara continued through their scene. Xander let out a short sigh of relief. After Will's evil laugh she seemed to really get into the part. He had been scared at first because it looked like she was going to faint, but then Tara started talking and everything seemed to go all right.

He hoped that his scene with Anya was going to be as good. He was feeling little butterfly knots in his tummy already.

Anya turned toward Xander to see him rubbing his tummy. "Does your tummy hurt Xander?" She thought he looked cute in his little lion suit. He was all brown and furry and he had a tail too!

"No I'm okay." He realized that he was still absently rubbing his stomach. "Uhm…just hungry. Yeah, didn't eat my snack when I got home today."

She was smiling at him again, and it made the butterflies in his stomach churn faster. He glanced up at the stage and saw that it was almost their turn. The munchkins in front of them were almost done with their scene.

Anya linked her arm through Xander's and waited for the munchkins to leave the stage. She looked down at the yellow brick road and noticed it was a little crumply, but still there. She smiled as she looked up at Xander. He looked so nervous! Maybe she should just give him a kiss for luck?

Xander felt the blush all the way down to his toes. Anya just kissed him again!

"For luck." She whispered.

"Th-thanks." Xander mumbled back to her.

"Okay Xander, Anya. Remember if you forget your lines just look over at me and I'll remind you what they are. Okay children?" Mr. Giles was edging them closer to the stage as he spoke.

Anya and Xander skipped onto the stage arm in arm. Buffy could hear their sing-song "follow the yellow brick road" as they went.

Will stood with Buffy waiting their turn on stage. He was feeling a little nervous and Buffy's excited bouncing was not helping. His face scrunched up and he blurted, "Will you quit bouncing goldilocks? You're givin' me a bleedin' headache!"

Buffy's lip immediately took up pouting position. "Leave me alone spike head! I'm just excited! Everyone is going to get to see me in my Dorothy costume in a second!" She continued to bounce up and down as she spoke.

"I know you're excited! The whole bloody school knows you're excited! Now quit it!" Will put his hand on her should trying to keep her settled.

"Eek!" Buffy squeaked before pulling away from him. "Don't touch me cootie head!"

"What?! You're worried about me touching your shoulder when you're going to be putting your stupid girly lips on me in a minute?" Will scoffed at her. "I'm the one who should be saying that to you!"

Will watched as Buffy's eyes got big and her lip started to tremble. "But…but you promised spike head!" She whispered. "You said you wouldn't run away this time."

Her eyes left his face to stare at her shiny ruby red slippers. She didn't want to cry. Especially in front of stupid spike head. Of course he wouldn't care about his promise! He was just a dumb boy! He didn't care about anything. She sniffled.

"Hey! I didn't say I was gonna run away. I told you I wouldn't!" Will tried to reassure her, patting her back as he spoke.

She looked up at him with a sort of hopeful look. "Promise?"

"I already bloody promised!" Will cried. "Besides don't want to get my Da all mad at me again."

"Okay." That made a lot of sense. Of course spike wouldn't want to get in trouble. She bet Mr. Giles was really good at giving punishments. He had a lot of practice at school.

Will heaved a silent sigh of relief. Now that, that was over he could concentrate on the nervous rumbling his stomach was making.

Buffy looked over to see spike twisting his hands together.

"Don't worry spike. You'll remember everything once we get started. Don't be nervous." Buffy tried the patting on the back thing for him.

Why is she bein' nice to me now? "I'm not nervous you dozy bird!" Will denied.

Buffy's face held a small frown. "I'm not a bird?" She said tentatively.

Will guffawed.

"Will do be quiet!" His Da hissed at him.

"Sorry Da." He apologized and then turned back to Buffy.

"You are bird and dozy too!" He laughed again.

Buffy continued to frown. At least he isn't squishing his hands together anymore, she thought.

Mr. Giles glanced over at his troublesome little pair. Anya and Xander were leaving the stage and they were on next. Will was laughing and Buffy was frowning, but at least they weren't trying to kill each other!

"Buffy! Will! Hurry now!" He called to them.

Will took Buffy's hand as they started to walk out. He noticed her hand was all sweaty and cold and she had stopped bouncing as soon as Da had called out to them.

"You okay goldilocks?" He asked quietly.

"Mmmmhmmm." She answered absently.

Will could hear flying monkeys screeching from off stage. Buffy was supposed to say her line now but instead of talking she was just staring at him with wide eyes.

Will grabbed her hand and started pulling her across the stage toward one of the fake rocks. "Come on goldi - Dorothy! We have to hide from the flying monkeys!"

Oh dear, Giles thought. What now? Little Buffy seemed paralyzed with stage fright. At least Will seemed to be keeping his head.

Buffy still hadn't said a word and continued to clutch Will's hand.

"It's okay Dorothy, they won't see us here." Will continued to improvise. The screeching got louder and then began to fade away.

"It looks like their gone now." Will said glancing up and pulling Buffy back onto her feet.

This was the part where Buffy was supposed to kiss him, but she still wasn't moving.

"Don't worry Dorothy." Will squeezed Buffy's hand in reassurance. "The Wizard of Oz will get you home." And then he leaned in and pressed his lips to her cheek.

When he pulled away Buffy's eyes were even wider and Will's face was a lot redder.

A soft "Thank God" could be heard from stage left from a very relieved Giles, as the two little hellions left the stage holding hands.

Once they were off the stage Buffy pulled Will further back from their classmates. Her eyes were downcast, unable to look him in the face.

Will thought she might be mad at him for kissing her so he started to apologize. "Sorry goldilocks I just -"

He was interrupted by Buffy's soft, "Thanks tin man." And then he felt her girly lips on him one last time.