Worth the Fight (BTVS fanfic, Book Three)

chapter 19 - Choices

At home before school, I sat at the kitchen table, flipping through a book.

Mom walked in.

"Hey, Mom," I told her. "How was the nightshift?"

"Exhausting, as usual," Mom answered, giving me a look. "Zoey. When were you going to tell me?"

"All right, busted," I told her. "I didn't think you'd miss them."

I took off Mom's earrings.

"You were accepted to Northwestern University," Mom told me. "Honey, I'm so proud of you. That's wonderful."

"Right," I agreed, less enthusiastic. "It's wonderful. Uh, Mom, I know that you said that you were gonna be more involved in my life, but I didn't think that you meant you were gonna be this involved."

"Well, a promise is a promise," Mom told me.

I nodded. "That, it is."

"I mean, going to Northwestern, it's not cheap, but, uh, I know we can make it work if your father pitches in," Mom told me. "Not that it's your only option. It's a great school, though. I am so proud of you."

"You said that before," I told her.

"And will again soon," Mom told me.

"Mom, you know that I can't... I--I just can't decide on a school right now," I told her. "I mean, I want to sleep on it, you know, mull it over. Raise them up my inner flag pole, see which one I salute."

"I know, sweetheart," Mom told me. "I'm just so pleased that you have so many choices."

"You're happy about all this because you want what mothers generally want, or you're so happy about all of this because you want me out of town before I become an actual Slayer?" I asked. Mom didn't answer. I nodded. "That's what I thought."

Mom sighed, walking closer. "I just want you to be safe. And this town is not safe, especially when all you do is get involved when you don't have to."

"You're right," I told her. "I don't have to. I want to. And that's what has you so worried. Because there is danger everywhere I turn, and I'm willingly doing this. But I'm gonna be okay."

Mom didn't seem sad, just worried and concerned, nodding. "Still. Don't you want a life out of this place? You always used to say how much you wanted out of this town, that you wanted to have a better life than the one you were living."

"That was before I became a Potential," I told her. "But it's fine. I'm gonna be fine."

I smiled reassuringly, walking toward the door.

"Ah," Mom told me, holding her hand toward me.

I took out the other earring, giving them back to Mom. "You gonna pass out as soon as I leave?"

"As always," Mom answered.

I smiled, walking out, leaving.

~~~

At school in the quad, Oz and I were sitting at a bench on the same side.

"Sounds like your mom's in a state of denial," Oz told me.

"More like a continent," I told him. "She just has to realize that I can't go away."

"Well, maybe not now, but soon, maybe," Oz told me. "Or maybe I too hail from Denial Land."

I smiled a small smile. "Faith's turn to the dark side of the Force pretty much put the proverbial kibosh on any away plans for me. UC Sunnydale. At least I got in."