Buffy Summers was born in January 1981 to Hank and Joyce Summers, making her twenty now. As a child, she went through a phase during which she idolized ice-skater Dorothy Hamill, and was close friends with her cousin Celia until she died. Buffy started her high school career at Hemery High in Los Angeles, where she was a popular cheerleader; in 1996 she was elected Prom Princess and Fiesta Queen. That same year, Buffy was contacted by a man named Merrick, who told her that she was the Chosen One, the Vampire Slayer. Though Buffy was skeptical, it was true; Merrick was her Watcher. But Merrick was killed, and in Buffy's attempts at slaying, she managed to burn down her high school gym. Around that time, Joyce and Hank finalized their divorce, and Buffy moved with Joyce to 1630 Revello Drive in Sunnydale. She enrolled at Sunnydale High School, where the school librarian, Giles, informed her that he was her new Watcher. Though reluctant, Buffy was sucked full force into the life of a Slayer. Buffy became friends with Willow Rosenberg, Xander Harris, and to some extent, Cordelia Chase; and later with Willow's boyfriend Oz, all of whom know that she is the Slayer (as does her mother, finally) and often help in her endeavors. Buffy developed a relationship with Angel, a vampire cursed with a soul; it ended when he he lost his soul, turning him back into his evil vampiric self, but they got back together after his soul was restored again. Ultimately, Angel eventually realized that as Buffy got older, their relationship would be doomed, and he left her, for her own good. During her freshman year at UC Sunnydale, Buffy roomed with Willow and developed a relationship with Riley Finn. After about a year together, Riley left Buffy and Sunnydale, feeling that Buffy didn't need nor love him. During her sophomore year at college, Buffy survived several family crises � first she discovered that her 14 year-old sister (introduced in Season 5) isn't actually her sister, but is a mystical "Key" just recently turned into human form and placed into Buffy's life (false memories included) so that Buffy could protect her. Then her mother had a brain tumor removed, only to later die from an aneurysm arising as a side effect from her surgery. In the final fight against Glory, a hellgod seeking to use the Key, Buffy sacrificed her life to save Dawn's and the world.