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 15: SUMMER VIGNETTES (Movies)

Xander's knee was bouncing and his fingers were tapping impatiently on the bench. He was waiting for his two bestest friends, Willow and Buffy, to meet him at the mall. They were going to see a movie together!

Buffy said her mom would pick him up and take him to the mall, but he told them he would just walk. He didn't really want Mrs. Summers to meet his parents. Which was good because they hadn't even woken up yet before he left the house this morning.

Where were they?? He jumped up from his seat and started pacing excitedly. The bench he was sitting on was directly in front of the theater, so he stopped to study some of the posters they had hanging. Sunnydale wasn't that big a town, so the theater was pretty small. It only had 4 movies playing at one time.

Xander really, really, really wanted to see Sinbad. Wouldn't it be cool to be a pirate? He hoped the girls would want to see it. He re-checked his pockets to make sure he'd brought his money. He'd been saving and saving all year so that he'd have some for the summer. Not that his parents ever really gave him an allowance or anything. He just sort of skimmed a few cents here and there when they sent him to the store to buy stuff.

He turned to go back to the bench and ended up running into somebody. They both fell to the ground, Xander rubbing his forehead where they'd collided. He was about to apologize when he heard a loud, "Bloody heck! Watch where you're going monkey boy!"

Xander sighed. It figured. If he had to run into anybody it was going to be stupid William. What was he doing here anyway?

"Don't tell me you're going to see a movie too?" He asked.

"What's it to you?" Will wanted to know. So what if he was going to a movie? His Da was at school for some teacher meeting and he didn't feel like staying home alone.

"Nothing *Spike Head*." Xander used the nickname Buffy had given him. He did the Snoopy dance in his head when he saw Will wince at the name. "You just better not bother us."

"Us?" Will asked. "You talking to the voices in your head again?"

"No loser!" Xander replied hotly. "I'm meeting the girls here!" He insisted, although there were no girls to be found as of yet.

"You mean Red and Goldilocks?"

"Willow and Buffy." Xander corrected.

"S'what I said."

"No it wasn't."

"Was too."

"Was not."

"Was too."

"Hi Xander!" Willow came skipping up, interrupting the argument.

"Hey Wills!" Xander gave her a bear hug. "Where's the Buffster?"

"She's coming. Just saying bye to her mom." Willow waved toward the mall entrance. "Hi Will." She smiled brightly at him. "Are you coming too?"

"No." "Sure pet." Xander and Will spoke at the same time.

"Hey guys." Buffy joined the three outside of the theater.

"Oh, hi Spike Head." Buffy blushed slightly looking away. This was the first time they'd seen each other since the play.

"Goldilocks." He nodded at her.

The group was silent for a minute before Buffy finally blurted, "So what are we gonna see?"

"Sinbad." Xander and Spike spoke at the same time again. They looked at each other in surprise.

Xander's eyebrow raised slightly. Maybe it was good to have another guy around? He stole a glance at the girls. They looked like they might need some convincing.

"Come ooooon!" Xander cajoled. "It'll be fun, I promise!"

"I don't know Xan." Buffy hesitated. "What about Finding Nemo?"

"No bloody way are we seeing a movie about some lost fish!" Will exclaimed.

"I heard it was good." Willow offered. "It's an adventure." She grinned at them.

"You want adventure? Sinbad's your man!" Xander tried again.

"Come on ducks. We're sure you'll like it." Will tried as well. "It's got a handsome bloke in it. And adventure on the high seas." He added.

Buffy and Willow looked at each other for a minute. Then they both shrugged. "Okay." They said in unison, then giggled.

Xander and Will broke out in grins.

After getting their tickets they all went into the theater to get good seats. Once they were settled the girls stayed to watch the seats while the guys went to the counter to get popcorn and soda.

"Don't forget the cookie dough bites!" Buffy yelled after the receding pair.

"I'm glad you and Will are friends now." Willow whispered to Buffy after the guys had left.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Well, I haven't heard you fighting a lot lately. And he was really sweet at the play. I thought you were friends now." Willow asked, her face scrunching up in confusion.

"Me? Friends with Spike Head?" Buffy shook her head, dispelling some of the blush that had appeared at Willow's mention of the play. "No way!"

"Oh." Willow looked even more confused.

"I mean yeah. He was kind of nice at the play." She blushed some more, ducking her head and avoiding Willow's eyes. "But that doesn't mean he's *nice*."

"O-kay." Willow drew out the word.

Just then the boys returned, Xander carrying a large popcorn and a couple of drinks. Will handed over Buffy's cookie dough bites and a small drink for her. "Oh, thanks." Was her reply. Will only nodded at her.

Xander poured half of the popcorn into an empty container they had gotten and handed it over to Buffy who promptly placed it on her lap. This left Buffy and Will to share, while Willow and Xander shared the tub.

The theater darkened and the previews began to play. Buffy opened up her cookie dough bites and began to nibble, while Will took handfuls of popcorn and shoved them in his mouth. Buffy heard Willow squeal as Xander took a small sample and tossed them at her face. This caused several people in the room to shush them. Which only made Xander grin even wider.

Halfway through the movie, already done with her cookie dough bites Buffy had her hand in the popcorn container. She was just getting ready to grab a mouthful when a man came out of nowhere and grabbed Sinbad. Buffy screamed and threw her hands up, showering Will with popcorn.

"Bloody heck! What are you doing?" Will whispered harshly. He was busy sweeping popcorn off his shoulders and head. "Are you loony?"

Buffy's bottom lip stuck out as she answered. "I was just surprised." She whispered back.

"It's okay Buffy. See he got away." Willow reassured her, brushing a few stray kernels out of her own hair.

"Sorry Wills." Buffy offered.

"Why don't you say sorry to me?" Will demanded.

"You don't deserve a sorry!"

"Why not? You got more on me than on Red."

"So? You were mean!"

"Not before you threw bloody popcorn at me!"

"I didn't mean to!" Buffy's lip was trembling. Why was he always yelling at her?

"Quiet!" They heard from the darkness.

Will turned to look at Buffy, seeing her lip tremble and her eyes widen. Bloody heck. Was she going to start bawling? "Okay, okay. It's no big deal. It's just a movie Goldilocks."

She turned away from him. "I know that." She answered stubbornly.

Will sighed, turning back to the movie. Now she was mad again. Why was she always mad? She was the one who threw popcorn at him!

They sat silently and watched the movie until another scary part came up and Buffy jumped in her seat. She was careful not to spill any popcorn this time, but she couldn't help the little yelp that got out of her throat. She braced herself for another sarcastic remark from Will, but instead she felt his hand sneak out and land atop her own. He squeezed once and then left his hand there.

The warmth from his hand served as a firm reminder that she wasn't alone in the theater, and for some reason it made her feel better. She didn't bother to move her hand away, even if she would have to wash away his cooties later. Instead she just continued to watch the movie in silence.