Pete's Ramblings About Leaving Sunnydale
It's all Vic's fault. I want that known up front.
Long ago, when the world was young and dinosaurs roamed the Earth, Vic mentioned in one of our emails that Bruce Springsteen music was a perfect fit for Xander. I had to agree. When that girl's right, she's right, and Bruce and Xander go together perfectly. Sometime after that is when I wrote "Ode To The Chickenman" and "Nothing Special," neither of which I would've written if Vic hadn't pointed out the connection. So she gets credit for those.
For this series, she gets blame. I was listening to "Thunder Road" whilst walking home from work one night. It might've been raining and miserable. Let's say it was. This is a better story if it was. Anyway, I got to thinking about how the story of the song would be perfect for a Xander story. He's sitting outside Willow's house, waiting for her. Beautiful. Also mushy. Two great tastes that taste great together, am I right?
But then I got to thinking that maybe I should try it as something other than Willow/Xander, since I do that so often. So I wrote up a Cordelia/Xander story with the same basic idea, and I liked it a lot. That's story numero uno of the series.
But then I got to thinking again, and I decided to write up the Willow/Xander story after all, since I had the Cordy/Xander story to balance the scales. And I liked that one a lot, too. That's story numero two-o of the series.
But then I got to thinking yet again, about how I should do one with Buffy, too, since Cordy, Willow and Buffy were the three most important women in Xander's life in High School. So I wrote that one up, too. It doesn't really have the same theme as the other stories, since the only time Buffy left Sunnydale was after the Becoming mess, but I didn't think that mattered. Besides, it's a dumb little fanfic piece, who cares about theme? So the Buffy story became numero C-o of the series. That one I'll post to the list tomorrow.
Do y'all see how it's all Vic's fault? One so-called innocent comment about Springsteen music, and she created a damned monster! I hate you, Vic. But I love you even more, so I guess it all evens out.
Anyway, that's the story of How It Was All Vic's Fault. The moral is, always listen to Vic, because she'll give you great ideas for stories, and then you can blame it all on her.
And for those who are interested, here's the lyrics to "Thunder Road."
The screen door slams
Mary's dress waves
Like a vision she dances across the porch
As the radio plays
Roy Orbison singing for the lonely
Hey that's me and I want you only
Don't turn me home again
I just can't face myself alone again
Don't run back inside
darling you know just what I'm here for
So you're scared and you're thinking
That maybe we ain't that young anymore
Show a little faith, there's magic in the night
You ain't a beauty, but hey you're alright
Oh and that's alright with me
You can hide `neath your covers
And study your pain
Make crosses from your lovers
Throw roses in the rain
Waste your summer praying in vain
For a savior to rise from these streets
Well now I'm no hero
That's understood
All the redemption I can offer, girl
Is beneath this dirty hood
With a chance to make it good somehow
Hey what else can we do now
Except roll down the window
And let the wind blow back your hair
Well the night's busting open
These two lanes will take us anywhere
We got one last chance to make it real
To trade in these wings on some wheels
Climb in back
Heaven's waiting on down the tracks
Oh oh come take my hand
Riding out tonight to case the promised land
Oh oh Thunder Road, oh Thunder Road
oh Thunder Road
Lying out there like a killer in the sun
Hey I know it's late we can make it if we run
Oh Thunder Road, sit tight take hold
Thunder Road
Well I got this guitar
And I learned how to make it talk
And my car's out back
If you're ready to take that long walk
From your front porch to my front seat
The door's open but the ride it ain't free
And I know you're lonely
For words that I ain't spoken
But tonight we'll be free
All the promises'll be broken
There were ghosts in the eyes
Of all the boys you sent away
They haunt this dusty beach road
In the skeleton frames of burned out Chevrolets
They scream your name at night in the street
Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet
And in the lonely cool before dawn
You hear their engines roaring on
But when you get to the porch they're gone
On the wind, so Mary climb in
It's a town full of losers
And I'm pulling out of here to win.