back to the old house
i would rather not go back to the old house. there's too many bad memories, too many memories there...
Oz never wanted to go back, not really. There was too many bad memories. A few were good, sure. Like Devon and Dawn. He still checked up on every few months or so but checking up on Devon proved to be difficult if you were trying to do it over the phone.
Still a fucking loser, too stoned for his own good, mooching off of all the people who could still tolerate him.
Dawn says things were getting weird and people were leaving fast and not looking back. She said she'd seen Devon around. Just around.
when you cycled by here began all my dreams. the saddest thing i've ever seen. and you never knew how much i really liked you because i never even told you. oh, and i meant to...
When Oz finally came back, he never intended to stay or even be seen. Not by Willow, not by Giles. Maybe by Dawn, just for a moment, but that was it. He just wanted to get Devon and get the fuck out of there.
It wasn't that hard to find Devon, once he was actually in Sunnydale. He was still wandering about near where the old school was and the new school now stood. Devon never liked moving on much and truthfully neither did Oz but it was what he had to do.
Devon looked hollow, like he was wasting away. Like a dead man walking.
Getting Devon into the van was the easy part. Getting Devon to give him the keys back was the difficult part. He just stared out the window at the new school before finally looking at Oz. "This place really sucks, y'know?" he told Oz, laughing slightly.
"That's why we're leaving. Give me the keys and we can leave."
He looked away again. "If that's what you wanted, you should have came back a long time ago, Oz. It's too late now, that's what Dawn says at least. She said you'd never come back for us."
"You still talk to Dawn?"
"If you haven't noticed, everybody else is fucking gone. Where else am I going to get weed in this hellhole?"
"I'm sure Buffy's ecstatic that her sister's a dealer now."
"More like a supplier."
"Devon."
"Daniel."
Oz didn't know what to say to him. He'd been gone for so long but Devon hadn't changed much except any hope he had for the future was beyond lost now.
The back door to his van opening, startled Oz but Devon was as creepily calm as ever.
"Are you coming with us, Dawn?" Devon asked, looking around at her as she set the cardboard box in the back seat.
"I can't, I have to stay here. But there's...everything you'll need in here. Lots of food. All the stores are abandoned now so if you need anything else, you can just stop by one on your way out."
Before she closed the door, Oz finally spoke. "Dawn. If you want, there's room for three."
"I'll catch up with you later. I promise."