Violins And Heartstrings - Chapter 1

William Thornton shuffled down the corridor, weaving through the crowds of fellow high school students and silently hoping no one would see him. The principal had instructed him that if he didn't complete the history project he was about to assign him then he would fail and with graduation so close, William wasn't about to let that happen. All he had to do was locate the girl he was supposed to be working with and get started on the project, he knew her name and knew she was one of the 'in crowd' but couldn't quite picture her face.

He pushed the door to the music room open, principal Giles had told him that she would be here and William had figured she was probably tidying up or something similar. When he couldn't find her in the main room, he started looking into the practice rooms, one by one until he located her. Peering in through the small glass window, he couldn't believe his eyes.

Bathed in a stream of sunlight, the slim blonde girl from next door to him was playing a violin. The soft light caused her hair to shimmer and glow, and her brows were wrinkled slightly in concentration. William felt his desire to hear what she was playing take over and he pushed the door open slowly, desperately hoping not to disturb her.

Buffy Summers continued playing as she heard the door open and kept her eyes firmly shut, letting the music echo through her and allowing it to express her emotions. Whoever was looking for her would have to wait; her music came first just like it always had.

He watched with awe as the bow held nimbly in her fingers danced across the strings, caressing them into making a harmonious sound that he recognised as Vivaldi's 'Summer'. He tilted his head slightly as her nose wrinkled up, matching her brows as she built up to the crescendo--it felt like she was playing it directly on his heartstrings. As she sounded the last note and let it resound throughout the room, he wasn't sure if he should applaud her amazing skill or leave quietly.

He turned to leave.

"William, right?" Buffy sighed out a deep breath and stretched before putting the violin back in its case.

He turned back to face her and tried to hide his amazement--the stunning angel from next door knew his name.

"Yes. Please, don't stop on my account, you play beautifully." His voice was shaky as he answered her; she blushed slightly and it caused him to blush too.

"I have to stop anyway, they need the rooms for class. You live next door to me, right? I remember seeing you a few times." Buffy smiled as she closed the violin case lid and clicked the latches shut.

"Yes. Principal Giles sent me to look for you, we're supposed to do a history project together?"

"Ahh, the infamous history project. Can I tell you a secret?" She picked up her violin case and walked until she was only a few inches from him.

William swallowed hard and felt his heart flutter as he looked into her eyes. "Sure."

"Me and history, we're unmixy things. I try and study, really I do, but it won't stay in my head. I'm hoping that you're good with history."

"Not really." He looked sheepish--history was his only failing.

"Oh. At least if we fail, we'll both have company." Buffy gave him a wide smile that William thought was brighter than the sun.

"Maybe we should get started?" He watched as Buffy walked past him and out into the hall, no matter how hard he tried he couldn't take his eyes off her.

They walked down the hall together and out into the open air of the quad. Buffy flicked her hair and raised her face to the sun. William thought that she seemed to revel in the sunshine and the way it danced on her skin. For a moment, he wished his lips were the sunshine, warming her supple skin with kisses.

"I remember seeing you loads last summer, when my mom was away on vacation--I've never seen a guy read so much. I mean, how come you need extra credit? I thought you would breeze high school." She adjusted her bag on her shoulder and led him across the quad and down the steps to the road.

William realised that they weren't going to be studying in the school library like he had supposed.

"I read the wrong things over summer, history isn't…it's…"

"Boring?" Buffy offered and he nodded. "I get that."

He walked along side her and looked at the violin case that was firmly grasped in her hand. He still couldn't believe that she played so well, he'd watched her nimble fingers working like a professional on the violin and felt lost in the passion she had been effusing. Raising his head up, he looked around him; the groups of students they passed all stared at them and Buffy didn't seem to care that they were twittering about her and William being seen together.

As they neared their houses, Buffy looked up at him, she'd always thought he was a sweet guy and last summer she'd realised that underneath his baggy clothes was a well trimmed and toned body--she'd seen it one sultry day when he'd peeled his top off while laying in his back yard. Shaking her head slightly she smiled up at him.

"So, what were you reading?" Buffy raised her brows as they turned into their road.

"Shakespeare, Thomas Hardy, those kinds of things."

"Oh." Buffy recognised 'Shakespeare' but the other one eluded her. "Wanna work in my back yard? It's so nice out today. I'll make you lemonade."

William swallowed hard and almost laughed at how she'd added that she would make lemonade, like he needed anything more than just an invite to make him to sit with her in her back yard.


Four hours later and the sun had started to slowly sink at the end of the hot sunny day. They were still sitting in her back garden under the umbrella and notebooks covered every inch of the table.

"Stupid history." Buffy groused as she leant back into her chair.

"Concentrate, pet. The more we concentrate, the quicker we get this done." William rubbed his eyes and frowned at the large history text in front of him.

"Did you just call me 'pet'?" Buffy looked over at him from where she lounged in her chair.

"Um, yeah. Sorry." He blushed violently and hoped she couldn't see it in the fading light.

"No, it's kinda cute, really."

William smiled wide and tried to stop his blush from burning his cheeks up.

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