Author: Anne Parnell
Title: A Normal Three Days On The Hellmouth
Category: Crossover (not really)
Rating: G
Summary: Short, first person
perspective of Sunnydale.
Legalese: All characters except those
noted below with their respective rights, properties and copyrights are the
property of their respective creators, authors, owners, producers and agencies.
These characters are used without permission. No copyright infringement is
intended or meant, and no money will be made from this story. The story may be
copied in its entirety, and may be distributed as long as all copyright
information remains.
The character of Alison Jarman belongs
to me. Anyone wanting to use her can
e-mail at anne@kayleyangel.com
The character of Shaw Hunter belongs to
Tim Knight, as does the story on which this is based. He can be contacted at doobytim@aol.com
The Wandererverse is a creation of Steve
Pantovich. He can be contacted on Steve711@concentric.net
Authors note: Just a quick fic based on
a relatively normal person in Sunnydale. It mentions a few of the Wandererverse heroes and a few little bits of
BtRH but no interaction between the characters.
Thanks to Erica and Malaskor for
giving me a few ideas to add to the fic, and to Tim for giving me such a good
story to work around. Also to, of
course, Steve for the best universe to play in.
Sunnydale High School
Sunnydale, California
2 September 1998
Everyone in this place is a bunch of sheep, or is that a flock of sheep? I can never remember. Anyways, the semi-popular kids follow the popular kids, hoping to have everyone recognize them. The unpopular scurry around after the popular kids, hoping to be rewarded for assisting them, or for fawning over them. What a world! I’m not a cynic, I’m just a realist.
I slowly walk down the hallway, trying not to be bumped too much. It’s days like this I wish I was bigger! I’m only five foot two, and the shoes I wear aren’t high heels so they don’t help with my height. I can’t see why anyone would wear high heels, or short skirts for that matter. Sneakers are way more practical and easier to walk in, same goes for a good pair of jeans.
I can see someone new talking to Harmony. Oh Gawd, not another little Miss Popularity. But her clothes are more like mine than Harmony’s. Ours are practical, not the latest styles. As I watch I realize I’m mistaken; she’s walking off and Harmony is left with her jaw hanging open. This bodes well; maybe I’d be able to make friends with her. I really need more friends.
"Oh my God! Harmony! This is a nice change, your mouth is moving but there is nothing coming out." I laugh as I walk past her on the way to the cafeteria. I can feel her eyes glaring at my back. It’s not an uncommon feeling from Harmony, she lacks comeback opportunities.
I sit near by the window in my usual spot, watching the students running round the place like ants. No one ever approaches me for a seat. Not after the last three friends I made ended up in the obituaries. As if that is all that uncommon in this place; we should be in the Guinness Book of Records for the number of students listed weekly in the obituary.
I can see the new girl walk in but she’s with Xander and they sit down together at the group’s usual table. Damn, there goes me offering her a seat at my table and getting to know her. But it does lead me onto something I forgot earlier; the outsiders bunch together. The outsiders being the ones who are apparently too above the whole social structure of high school, who don’t try to fit into Popular, Cheerleader, or Jock type categories.
The outsiders being the likes of Xander, Willow, Oz and now even Cordelia, all because of one perky little blonde, Buffy Summers. And by the looks of things, they’ve recruited the new girl. Must have heard about her insulting Harmony. Man, the look on her face was PRICELESS; I wish I knew what they had been talking about. Maybe she insulted Harmony’s Prada bag, or her hairstyle of the day.
"I see your surrounded by *all* your friends." Oh haha. Must have taken her days to come up with that one, considering I am by myself, as usual.
"Harmony, nice seeing you too," I stare at one part of her face, innocently wide eyed.
"Isn’t it just… just what are you staring at?"
"Harm, is that a zit I see?"
As predicted, her hands fly up to cover her face and she runs out of the room. Sometimes I love being me until I realize that I left one of books I am going to need at home. Damn! I am getting so forgetful these days. And double damn! I have to go to the library now.
Oh goody, that means I get to see Mr Stuffy Brit himself, Giles. I just can’t see why Buffy’s group loves him. To me, he’s a fuddy duddy, someone in serious need of changing his wardrobe. Although he hasn’t been too bad since he started seeing Miss Calendar. But he’s far better than the troll of a principal, Snyder. Then again a mosquito is better than Snyder!
I get up to leave and notice that Xander and the new girl are moving too. I can’t believe Cordelia is letting him escort someone as good looking as her around the school.
Cordelia has really changed recently; including how she is publicly dating someone she used to think was a loser. I must admit, she was much better at being Miss Popularity than Harmony. Harmony just doesn’t have quite the acid tongue, or the comebacks that Cordelia always had. Why has she given up her mantle? I mean, Xander’s kinda cute, not really my taste in men, so she must really love him to give up what she used to hold so dear. He must be considering himself a very lucky guy!
I follow Xander and the new girl out of the cafeteria and notice them heading toward the library. Great! I’ll be ignored when I enter, I hate when that happens. I’ll just be standing there surrounded by the musty smell. Giles drops everything when it comes to one of Buffy’s group.
I wonder if he’s got a crush on her? It would explain a lot, like why she’s always hanging around in the library, I’ve never seen someone that good looking in a library as often as her. And she does go for older guys, I mean that college guy she was with. Tall, dark and brooding, yummy! And the new guy I’ve seen her with. But I don’t think she’d go for Giles. I mean hello! ANCIENT! That’s just gross!
Stuff it, I can’t be bothered, I don’t really need the book that badly.
Sunnydale High Computer Lab
Sunnydale, California
3 September 1998
Computer class is fun; Miss Calendar is a great teacher, my favorite in fact. I so don’t see what she sees in Giles, she could do so much better. But oh well. The new girl is sitting near me, which gives me ample chance to check her out.
She’s about five foot five or six, taller than me anyways. Her skin is pale but that really sets off her hazel eyes. I found out that the new girl’s name is Shaw Hunter, Army brat from Scotland. Good luck to her to survive in this town. Although being an Army brat she’s probably got some fighting skills. She’s focused, I can give her that much. She’s listening intently to what Miss Calendar is saying.
That’s more than what I am doing. Me being the quiet achiever, the one always overlooked by everyone as they focus on our resident genius Willow Rosenberg. I don’t mind much, since it gives me the chance to do my thing without the pressure that she gets. I’m just mucking around and working on the program we’ve been asked to write for an assignment. I don’t listen much in class, well not to the teachers at least.
You learn some of the most amazing things from the students. Especially when you hang near the library when Buffy is in there. You get to hear some almost unbelievable stories. Some of them I would give to them, ‘cause I’ve seen some of the things out there. Unlike most of the people in town, I try to remember things that are out of the ordinary. And in this place, there is a lot of that happening. Understatement much?
Class is over, I don’t get a chance to speak to Shaw since Miss Calendar is asking her to stay back. Probably just going to go over a few things, either that or run an errand. Who knows these days? Although watching her rushing out of the room, doesn’t look like the most pleasant of conversations happened. What did Miss Calendar say to upset her so much?
Near the Bronze
Sunnydale, California
4 September 1998
Damn it! Why did I have to work late tonight of all nights? Couldn’t one of the other delivery guys work late? It wouldn’t have been too bad if dad hadn’t needed the car. But no, now I have to walk home in the dark by myself and I hate walking in the dark. Of course the others are all too busy to give poor little old me a lift home. Guess I should make a few more friends, just for emergencies like this!
I can hear a scuffle happening not too far away, so I start walking faster. I know it’s not a good idea to be walking the streets by oneself at night. Although recently it hasn’t been too bad, not as many students are being found dead recently. One plus, I guess in Buffy and her ‘friend’ coming to Sunnydale. I wonder how she and her mates do it?
I peek down one of the alleyways and I can see Amy working her ‘magic’ down there. Yeah, I know she really thinks she is a witch but I don’t believe in it. Although that fire spell she just cast gets a tick in the believe file. Looks like she’s dealing with it, so I’m scampering.
Unfortunately I didn’t move quite quickly enough. There is a vampire in front of me. Yeah, I am serious, a real un-live vampire or as the police reckon, a gang member on PCP. But hey! I’ve watched Buffy and her group often enough, the vamps aren’t always the brightest in this world. Also, by watching them, I’ve noticed one thing, you wanna protect yourself, you need something to fight with, so I’ve started carrying a nice wooden stake with me…
But I don’t pull it out quickly enough; the vamp is approaching and I find myself hitting a brick wall when I throw my first punch. I’m going to have a black and blue hand tomorrow. Of course, he gets mad and I sail into the fire escape. Oh God I think I have broken something… the pain is almost unbearable. But hey! I still have a grip on the stake, how’d I manage that?
The vamp is leaning over me, ready to get sucky face with my neck. But he’s given me enough time to stake him. I stake him through the heart and inhale the copious amounts of dust as I struggle to get my breath back. I finally do the one thing I’ve been longing for from the start… I scream! I never scream, but I’ve never fought for my life either, so I figure I’m entitled.
I struggle to stand, I need to walk home, cause if I stay here, it won’t be long ‘til I do become some vamp’s dinner. I think I broke my right arm, which means it’s a good thing I am left handed, although it’s not going to do me any good when it starts to bruise. I finally make it to my doorway. I managed once again to make it through the night. Now if only dad can drive me to the hospital, morphine is sounding pretty nice to me.
My name’s Alison Jarman, I have no special powers, unless you consider that I don’t let things surprise me too much. That can be considered a death wish in this place. I’ve lived in Sunnydale all my life, I wasn’t even tempted to move away when mom up and left with a younger man, but I do get away to visit quite often. Meaning that I am not always acting older than I am.
In this town, you don’t just live in it. You survive in it or else you die. I don’t like dying, so I watch, I listen and I learn. I make it my life’s work to survive in this place… maybe one day I’ll ask Buffy why it’s so easy for her to do so…