Cordelia Chase glared at the swings. All three swings were occupied by boys. She hated boys. They were mean and icky and they smelled bad. Tossing her long, chestnut hair over her shoulder, she walked purposefully up to the iron bars. "So, Alex, are you ever gonna get your big, fat butt out of the swings?"

Alexander Harris jumped out of the swing, landing near her. Pushing his dark hair out of his eyes, he wrinkled his nose. "There. I don't want to be near the swings if you're gonna be." He stuck his tongue out at her and pushed her to the ground. Walking past her, he nodded to his friend Jesse.

Cordelia stood up and ran at him, shoving him with all her might. She crossed her arms and glared down at him. "I hate you."

"Well, I hate you." He made his way to his feet, moving closer. He leaned in until his nose was against hers, their glares hateful. "So we're even." He turned away and started toward Jesse when something caught his eye.

Sitting off by herself was a girl he'd never seen before. She was like nothing he'd ever seen in his whole four and a half years. The sunlight caught her hair and it looked as though it was on fire. It was beautiful. "Hey, Cordelia. Who's that girl?"

She shrugged, annoyed. "I don't know, Alex. Does she look like someone who'd be my friend? I mean, she's still wearing Osh Gosh Bgosh." She dismissed the girl with a wave of her hand and sneered at him. "Why don't you go with your loser friends and pick on some little kids again, so us grown ups can play on the swings." Heading back, she thumbed her nose at him. "You're such a loser!"

"Yeah well, I may not be rich, but at least I'm not a snot."

"You are too. You're just a big, mean bully. And that's all you're ever gonna be. Alex is a big, mean bully and I'm not gonna talk to you no more." She ran off, trying to pretend his name-calling hadn't hurt her feelings.

Jesse fell into step next to his best friend. "So, Alex, you seen the new girl?"

"New girl?"

"The redhead?" Jesse let his breath out in a huff. "Her mom taught her school at home. She's really smart. But, school at home, man. School at school is bad, but school at home." He shook his head in disbelief.

"What's her name?"

"I don't know. I call her new girl." He looked at his friend. "You gonna go give her the Alex Harris welcome?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Hey." She looked up and gave him a shy smile. He started to smile in return but stopped himself. "What's your name?"

"Willow." Her voice was soft and timid. "Willow Rosenberg." She straightened and bit her lower lip. "What's yours?"

"Alexander Harris."

"Alexander?" She didn't sound as if she believed him.

"People call me Alex."

"Why?"

He didn't get this girl. "Why what?"

"Why do they call you that? It's not you."

"What do you mean?" He put his hands on his hips and glared at her.

"You're not an Alex. I think you're a…a Xander."

"Xander?" He looked doubtful. Although it was different. There was already another Alex in his class.

"Xander Harris. That's who I think you are."

"Well, I think you're Willow." He countered, determined not to be outdone.

"Cause I am."

"Yeah, well, what are you doing over here all by yourself?" He paused. "Willow?"

"Eating my lunch." She wondered if he was ever going to sit down next to her. She'd heard all about him from the girl, Amy, who sat next to her. He was a bully. But he didn't seem like one. She thought he was kind of nice.

"What are you having?"

"Peanut butter and jelly."

His stomach growled. "Oh."

"What are you having for lunch?"

She kept tilting her head, watching his eyes. "Nothing. My mom didn't give me one."

She smiled and the day got even brighter. "Would you like to share mine? I have a Twinkie!"

He wanted to keep that smile right where it was. Foregoing his reputation, forgetting all about Alex, Xander Harris sat next to his new friend.

Cordelia glared at the two of them sitting by the fence. She had gotten used to being the main target of Alex's taunts and she wasn't about to be upstaged by some little girl. She was handing him half of her sandwich and her package of Twinkies. What a cheater.

Cordelia strode toward them, her hands on her hips. Stopping in front of them, she kicked Alex's shoe. "Oh look, Alex has fallen for his little red-haired girl, just like Charlie Brown."

"Shut up, Cordelia."

"Which makes sense, cause you're a loser just like Charlie Brown."

Willow's green eyes were curious. "Who's Charlie Brown?"

As if it weren't already bad enough. Cordelia sighed in exasperation. Was she deliberately dumb? "What? Don't you know anything? Don't you watch TV at Christmas?"

"Oh," Willow nodded, finally understanding. "We don't have Christmas."

It was Xander's turn to look confused. "Why not?"

"I'm Jewish."

They weren't paying any attention to her. Cordelia stomped her foot. "You guys are such freaks. No wonder you're friends." She whirled around, tired of wasting her time with them.

"Hey Cordelia?"

"What?"

"Don't call me Alex anymore. My name's Xander."

Willow watched in fascination as he slid the entire Twinkie into his mouth. This boy was amazing. "Was she right? Are we friends?"

He looked at her, struggling to eat the snack. When he swallowed enough to allow him to talk, he nodded. "Yeah. You and me. We're gonna be best friends."

"Forever?" Her voice was tremulous as though she was on the verge of crying.

He pulled her to him, impulsively, wrapping her in a strong hug. "Forever, Willow. I promise."