– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

February 7, 1997

Sunnydale, California

The bright mid January Southern California morning was in full swing as Xander Harris made his way down the road towards Sunnydale High, the sun's rays already promising another day of sweltering heat. His skateboard glided along the pavement at a steady pace, the wheels rattling softly against the asphalt. Dressed in an unbuttoned white semi-translucent short sleeve button up, a blue tank top and wrinkled corduroys, Xander embodied the shaggy indifference common to skateboarders. A light breeze ruffled his messy mop of black hair as he took in the sights around him.

Students milled about on their way to school, some walking, others biking or rollerblading. A few cars pulled up to the curb, dropping off their teenage passengers before speeding off to beat the morning rush. Just another day in good ol' Sunnydale, Xander mused, a wry smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

As he continued down the street, his eyes caught sight of something unexpected. Glancing to the side, Xander noticed another boy riding a skateboard, keeping pace with him effortlessly. Intrigued, he slowed his own board slightly, taking a moment to study the stranger.

The boy's black t-shirt with red lettering and ripped jeans were nothing out of the ordinary, and neither were his well-worn basketball shoes. But what struck Xander was the teen's appearance. His skin was a rich, dark tone, with full lips and a somewhat wide nose. Crowning the boy's head was a wild mane of dreadlocks, the same vivid shade as fresh blood.

Whoa, definitely never seen anyone like him around here before, Xander thought, his eyes widening slightly. He prided himself on not being racist, but even he had to admit that the boy's unique features stood out in the sea of familiar faces. Despite its size and surroundings, Sunnydale wasn't the biggest of places to live in, and its population was far from the massive throng of some of the bigger locales in Southern California. That in mind, new faces were rare and new faces like his… even more so.

As if sensing Xander's gaze, the other teen glanced over, a lazy smirk playing on his lips as a pair of bright blue eyes seemed to look through him. With a casual two-fingered salute, the black kid kicked off on his skateboard, propelling himself forward with impressive speed. Xander watched in awe as the boy rounded the corner, his movements fluid and effortless, disappearing from sight in a matter of seconds.

Dud... I'd totally eat gravel if I tried to pull off a move like that, Xander admitted to himself, a grin spreading across his face as something hit him. "New kid! Sweet!"

Excitement bubbling in his chest, Xander kicked off, determined to catch up with the mysterious newcomer. He rounded the corner at a more moderate pace, his eyes scanning the crowd of students rushing towards the doors of Sunnydale High. Much to his disappointment, the new kid was nowhere to be seen, lost among the sea of teenage bodies and school day traffic.

Aww, man, Xander thought, his shoulders slumping slightly. Undeterred, he wove through the thickening mass of students, his skateboard gliding smoothly beneath his feet. He slid past a short yellow bus and an Asian girl on a bike, careful not to hit anyone.

"'Scuse me, comin' through, pardon me, 'scuse me, whoa!" Xander called out, his voice carrying over the chatter of his classmates. "Not sure how to stop! Please move, whoa, 'scuse me..."

As he weaved through the crowd, a flash of blonde hair caught his eye and Xander's gaze landed on a pretty, leggy girl dressed in a short-sleeved white button-down, a miniskirt, and high-heeled boots. Damn, that combo should be illegal for school, he thought, his teenage hormones taking over.

Unable to resist, Xander craned his neck to get a better look, openly staring as he skated by. So focused was he on the blonde beauty that he failed to notice the stair railing rapidly approaching. With a sickening crunch, Xander collided with the metal barrier, his body flipping over it and landing on his back with a painful thud. His backpack provided little cushioning as he lay there, grunting in agony.

"I'm okay. I'm okay," he tried to convince himself through gritted teeth, the throbbing pain in his back suggesting otherwise. "I feel good."

Through the slight haze of growing back pain he'd probably pay for in his mid-thirties, Xander noticed a pair of legs making their way towards him, penny loafers stepping carefully to avoid tripping over his sprawled form. Glancing up, he found himself face-to-face with a familiar face, a smile spreading across it as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Need some help?"

Willow Rosenberg, his best friend since childhood, stood over of him, her shy and bookish demeanor evident in her modest green dress layered over a white long-sleeved shirt. The old-fashioned black penny loafers on her feet were a telltale sign of the fact that her mother definitely picked out her clothes for today. Yet, despite her unassuming appearance, Willow's eyes sparkled with intelligence, and her smile radiated a genuine charm that often went unnoticed by the shallow minds of high school.

Xander's face lit up, his pain forgotten as he grinned. "Willow! You're so very much the person that I wanted to see!" he exclaimed, pulling himself up with his skateboard in one hand.

Willow's eyes widened slightly, sounding just a little hopeful as she replied, "Oh, really?"

As they began walking towards the school together, Xander shrugged, looking just a little guilty. "Yeah. You know, I kinda had a problem with the math," he admitted, his tone sheepish but still casual.

Willow's shoulders sagged a little, her usual look of disappointment whenever he came to her with homework issues clear on her face even as she tried to hide it. "Uh, which part?" she asked, her voice steady.

Xander shrugged again, still sheepish as he smiled wide. "The math. Concept, Essence, all of it. Can you help me out tonight, pleeeease, be my study buddy?"

Willow's eyes narrowed playfully as she tilted her head. "Well, what's in it for me?"

Xander's face scrunched up in faux-thought for a moment before a grin spread across his face. "A shiny nickel!" he declared theatrically.

Willow rolled her eyes, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "Okay. Do you have 'Theories in Trig'? You should check it out," she suggested, her voice carrying a hint of amusement.

"Check it out?" Xander repeated, screwing up his face in legitimate confusion.

"From the library?" Willow raised an eyebrow at him, turning slightly to the side as another student brushed past her, the bustling crowd of teenagers filling the air with noise. "Where the books live," she added, her tone teasing.

Realization dawned on Xander's face, and he nodded enthusiastically. "Right, right, I'm there! See, I wanna change…"

As they approached the front doors of the school, a familiar figure emerged from the sea of students, in all his orange shirted, khaki shorted glory. Jesse, Xander's best friend and a close enough companion to Willow, sauntered up to them with a goofy grin plastered on his face. Standing a good bit taller than Xander, Jesse somehow managed to be even more awkward… which was quite the accomplishment.

"Hey, hey!" Jesse greeted, his smile broadening as he clapped hands with Xander, hard and fast.

Xander returned the gesture as he leaned into the bro hug, his own grin widening. "Hey, Jesse, what's what?"

Jesse's eyes sparkled with excitement as he leaned in conspiratorially. "New girl!" he announced, voice clearly giddy and excited.

Xander's face lit up, mirroring his friend's enthusiasm. "That's right," he agreed, nodding fast. "I saw her. Total ten, talk about a hottie!"

Beside them, Willow's mood seemed to deflate once more, her shoulders sagging slightly as the boys talked about another girl. Xander, caught up in the moment, failed to notice.

"I heard a couple of people were transferring…" Willow interjected, her voice trailing off as she glanced around the bustling schoolyard.

Xander blinked, his mind briefly flashing back to his earlier encounter. "Couple? Oh, yeah. I saw this other dude on a skateboard. Black kid, dreadlocks, red hair," he emphasized, shooting Willow a joking suspicious glance.

Instinctively, Willow's hand reached up to touch her own long fiery locks, a small smile playing on her lips despite herself.

"Relative of yours, Will?" Xander teased, his eyebrows waggling mischievously.

"Haha," Willow retorted, rolling her eyes exaggeratedly as she did her best to suppress a grin. After a moment, her expression turned thoughtful. "But I do know something about him. My dad mentioned that they got a new young client. He's an orphan, I think, from Los Angeles, and got a lot of money in inheritance. Kinda sad."

"Yeah, yeah." Xander nodded, his face growing a bit serious for a brief moment before he turned his attention back to Jesse, who was still grinning like a Cheshire cat. "So tell!"

Jesse stared blankly, his smile faltering slightly. "Tell what?"

Xander raised an eyebrow, his voice taking on a conspiratorial tone. "What's the sitch? What do ya know about new girl?"

Jesse's grin returned in full force, his eyes sparkling with renewed excitement. "New girl!"

Xander shook his head, a goofy smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Well, you're certainly a font of nothing!"

Laughing loud, the trio stood in the middle of the crowd of students as they rushed around them, sounds of laughter, shouting, and the occasional slamming of locker doors filling the air. The sun's rays streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow over the bustling hallway. Xander's gaze wandered, taking in the familiar sights and sounds of Sunnydale High.

As they made their way deeper inside, Xander couldn't shake the feeling that something about the school was different. Eh, I'll figure it out.

– o – o – o – o – o – o – o –

A few minutes later, Xander found himself walking down the hall, still in a good mood from his little powwow with both his friends. The bustling crowd of students filled the corridor, their chatter and laughter echoing off the walls as they hurried to their first classes of the day.

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Suddenly, his eyes widened, and his heart skipped a beat as he spotted a familiar figure just a door or two down. It was the same blonde girl from before, her shoulder-length golden locks pretty as ever as she walked with a confident stride. Xander couldn't help but stare, his mouth slightly agape as he took in the hottie for the second time.

Damn, she's even hotter up close, he thought, his mind racing with a thousand possibilities.

However, his staring was cut short as another girl, too engrossed in her conversation with a taller black boy to pay attention to her surroundings, accidentally bumped into the blonde, causing her to lose her grip on her bag. The contents spilled onto the floor, scattering in every direction.

"Oh! Sorry!" the blonde girl exclaimed, her voice tinged with surprise and a hint of frustration.

The other girl, realizing her mistake, quickly apologized. "That's okay."

The blonde girl glanced down at the mess, her shoulders slumping slightly as she surveyed the damage. "Oh…" she muttered, her tone deflated.

With a sigh, she knelt down and began scooping her belongings back into her bag, her movements hurried and clearly embarrassed.

Xander's face shifted into a grimace of sympathy, heart going out to the girl. Man, talk about a rough start to the day, he mused to himself, watching as she struggled to gather her things.

But then, an idea struck him, and a grin spread across his face. Now's my chance, he thought, his eyes sparkling with mischief and anticipation.

Seizing the opportunity, Xander quickly made his way over to the blonde girl, squatting down next to her to assist in the cleanup effort. He reached for a stray pen, his fingers brushing against hers for the briefest of moments.

"Can I have you?" he blurted out, his brain momentarily short-circuiting as he found himself in such close proximity to the object of his affection.

The blonde girl looked up at him, her brow furrowed in confusion, and Xander felt his cheeks burn with embarrassment.

Smooth move, Harris, he chastised himself, mentally facepalming at his own stupidity.

Quickly realizing his mistake, Xander let out an awkward chuckle. "Duh... Can I help you?"

The girl's confused expression melted into a smile, and Xander felt his heart skip a beat for a second time this morning. "Thanks," she said, her voice soft and sincere.

Together, they began gathering her scattered belongings, Xander handing each item to her without really looking, his attention focused solely on the girl beside him. He couldn't help but marvel at her beauty, the way her golden hair framed her face, and the warmth in her blue eyes.

"I don't know you, do I?" Xander asked, trying to play it cool despite the butterflies in his stomach.

The girl shook her head, her smile widening. "I'm Buffy. I'm new."

Buffy, Xander repeated in his mind, committing the name to memory. Even her name is cute.

"Xander. Is, is me. Hi," he stammered, mentally kicking himself as the words killed themselves on their way out of his mouth before they could form a proper sentence.

Buffy grinned at him, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Um, thanks."

As they finished gathering the last of her stuff, Xander found himself at a loss for words. He wanted to say something clever, something that would make her laugh and remember him, but his mind was drawing a blank.

"Well, uh, maybe I'll see you around... maybe at school... since we... both... go there," he managed to get out, words stumbling over each other in a jumbled mess.

Wow, real smooth, Xander, he thought, cringing at his own malfunctioning brain.

But to his surprise, Buffy didn't seem to mind. She simply smiled at him, her eyes warm and friendly. "Great!" she said as they both stood up. "It was nice to meet you."

Xander handed her the rest of her books, watching as she stuffed them into her bag. With a final smile and a wave, Buffy hurried away down the hall.

"We both go to school," Xander muttered to himself, his voice dripping with self-admonishment. "Very suave. Very not pathetic."

He reached out for a moment, as if to call her back, before clenching his hand into an embarrassed fist. Way to go, Harris. You really know how to make an impression.

But then, something caught his eye. A small object still lay on the floor, forgotten in the chaos of their encounter. Without really paying attention, too focused on Buffy's retreating backside to truly divert his focus, Xander bent down to retrieve it.

"Oh, hey!" he called out, rising to his feet with it in hand. "Hey, you forgot your…"

As he looked down at the item, his words trailed off, and his eyebrows mashed together in confusion. In his hand, he held a wooden stake, its surface smooth and worn.

A stake? he thought, turning the object over in his hand. The hell is she doing with a stake?

But Buffy was already too far away, the noise of the crowd swallowing his words. Xander stood there, holding the stake, glancing at it with confusion written all over his face, and his mind racing with a thousand questions.

"Wow, a bonafide vampire hunter," a voice came from behind him, calm and drawling, breaking Xander out of his confusion-induced daze. "This school has everything, doesn't it?"

Xander whirled around, eyes wide with surprise as his mouth moved on instinct, the words tumbling out before he could even think. "I wouldn't let the school take credit. That's all me." His gaze landed on the speaker, and his eyes widened further as recognition dawned on him. It was the same kid he had seen skateboarding earlier, the black kid with the red dreadlocks and bright blue eyes.

The speaker in question raised an eyebrow, one hand lazily playing with a single lock of his blood-red dreads, and smirked at Xander. "That's crazy, homie. Do tell."

Xander blinked, his brain taking a moment to catch up with the situation. Well, look at you, Xander. Barely even started the day, and you're already the talk of the town. Or at least the talk of the mysterious new kid. "Yeah, y-yeah…" he paused for a moment, his mind racing to come up with a clever response. Come on, Harris, don't let the joke die now.

With a sudden burst of confidence, Xander barreled on, his voice taking on a faux-serious tone. "I come from a long line of Hellsings, actually. It's in my blood."

The red-haired boy's smirk shifted into a grin, his white teeth somehow even brighter than his striking blue eyes. "Really?" he shot back, voice dripping with amusement. "Your blood?"

Xander nodded his head, crossing his arms in a mock-serious manner. "Well, it's in my head, and that's good enough for me," he finished, barely suppressing the urge to laugh at his own joke.

The boy with the red dreadlocks let out a loud laugh, the sound echoing through the bustling hallway, and held out his fist. "You're killing me with this, homie."

Xander smiled back, his free hand reaching out to complete the fist bump. Looks like I'm not the only one with a sense of humor around here.

"Killing you? What, don't tell me you're a vamp? In SoCal?" Xander quipped, his eyebrows waggling mischievously. "What kinda crazy SPF do you use?"

"Nah, homie," the other teen answered, still chuckling. "Not a vamp. That would definitely be awkward, though." He paused, his grin softening into a genuine smile. "You're cool, bro."

Xander felt a warmth spread through his chest at the compliment. It wasn't often that he found someone who appreciated his particular brand of humor. "Thanks, you're pretty cool yourself, uhhh…" he trailed off, gesturing for the other boy to introduce himself.

"Sam. Sammy, if you feel like it ," the red-haired teen supplied, his name rolling off his tongue with an easy confidence. "Short for Samuel Lucius Ash the Sixth."

"Nice name. I'm Xander. Hold your applause, though," Xander responded, raising both hands up, palms facing Sam in a mock-surrender. "It's short for Alexander Lavelle Harris."

Sam raised an eyebrow, his expression a mix of amusement and disbelief. "Lavelle?"

Xander sighed, his smile becoming less genuine and more bitter as he continued. "Yeah, don't know what the 'rents were thinking. Must have been drunk."

"Must have," Sammy agreed with a slow nod.

A thought suddenly struck Xander, and he couldn't help but blurt it out. "Hey, I saw you skating earlier. How'd you get so good, man?"

Samuel's lips curled into a smirk, his blue eyes twinkling. "Years of practice, homie. But I can give you some tips if you want."

Xander's face lit up, excitement coursing through him at the prospect of learning from someone who clearly knew their stuff. "Sweet!"

Reaching into his pocket, Sam pulled out a sleek black business card with red lettering. He handed it to Xander, who took it with a curious expression. "Here's my card."

Xander glanced down at the card, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise. In large print, it read "Odd Jobs and Services for a Good Deal," followed by Sam's full name and number. Flipping the card over, he noticed a strange circular logo with odd symbols etched within.

Unable to contain his amusement, Xander let out a laugh, his face pulling into a comical expression. "You have a card? You have a business?"

Sam smiled softly, his eyes glinting with a hint of challenge. "So you don't want the tips?"

Realizing his mistake, Xander quickly pocketed the card, a sheepish grin spreading across his face. "I didn't say that," he laughed, trying to play it off.

"Well, I gotta head to my first class, Xan Man. Be seeing ya, homie."

With a final nod and a casual wave, Samuel turned around and walked away, his dreadlocks swaying with each step. Xander watched as the other teen rounded the corner, disappearing from sight.

"Yeah… be seeing ya," Xander mumbled, glancing down at the stake still clutched in his hand. What a way to start the day, he thought, shaking his head in disbelief.

A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he tucked the stake into his back pocket, the weight of it a reminder of the strange encounter with Buffy. Look at you, Xander. Talking to two new kids on their first day. You bonafide social butterfly, you.

As he turned to head to his own class, he failed to notice a pair of piercing blue eyes staring at his back.