I walk up to Amanda's porch and knock on the door, not exacly sure what to say to her. Story for her parents if they answer? I'm starting a self-defense class and want to invite Amanda. They might have heard the phone message, so it works.
This would be much easier if I had a practice partner. but who am I going to ask? Jordy? ha! right. He's trying to forget everything. Danny? ...Eric is dead. So I'm fencing with ghosts.
I get no answer from the knock. I peek in throught the tiny window in the front door, but no one's coming, so I decide to go around back to try. Mayb someone's in the kitchen, or...
I stop when I see her, air fencing. With a fairly impressive sword, too. No clue where she would have gotten it from, but, man, her arm's not drooping at all. I think Giles might be right about the whole potential thing.
I clear my throat, and call softly, hoping not to interupt awkwardly and throw her off, "Amanda?"
Parry, repose, block, strike... Buffy. Buffy! "gyah."I stop at the end of a lunge and have to do a hop to get myself balanced again so I don't fall on my face. "Um, Hi." Oh god. I'm still holding my sword. It needs to go some where... after a minute of fumbling I just hold it behind my back, the scabbard is on the porch, too far away. "Whatcha doing here?" I ask brightly.
I smile. "Nice form," I say, coming fully into the yard. "You been fencing long?"
I glance at how she's hiding the sword. "It's okay--pretty cool, actually. You did great fighting the demons at the prom." I figure there's no point mincing words, she must have known they were somthing weird. "Kinda wanted to talk to you about that."
"oh, um Thanks." Right, no point in hiding the sword, it just looks stupid. I shrug. "Sometimes it feels like I've been fencing forever." There that was true and nicely noncomital. I'm not at all sure what prom has to do with anything. "I didn't mean to start a riot."
"A riot?" I ask. "Kinda think the demons started the fight, not you, if that's what you mean. Evil things in formalwear." I shudder. "You did great, protecting your friends."
She looks nervous, am I making her nervous? "I just...well, I left a message for you, and wondered if you'd thought about the self-defense thing. Not that you're not doing a bang up job already, and with the fencing, too..." I think about how to phrase it. "I'm sort of an expert, and if you wanted some pointers on it, I'm offering lessons free to you girls. You and Dawn's other friends. I don't know if you get involved in that kind of fight often, but monster bashing can be dangerous."
"No. no I mean yes." Why is this so difficult!?! "I'd like to um learn more self defense stuff. I mean I saw you at prom and you were really..." I just nod because I don't have the words, "...and I'd rather know what I'm doing."
I smile. I think I've rattled her a little, but maybe she's always nervous, and not just 'cause I noticed she fought really well.
"Yeah, I'm...sort of a special case," I say. "Monster fighting is my specialty, but I figure there's no reason I can't pass on a few tips, right? So, it's cool that you're interested. I hope the others will be too, especially with everyone going off to college in a couple months."
"Oh yeah. That would be really good." Let's not talk about prom. "I could use help." "When are you planning on it? Because I'll be there, and I'm gonna drag Janice along too." Maybe Jordy would be interested too. I'll have to ask people.
"Well, I figured after I hear back from people, maybe in a week or two? Then we'd have a decent block of time before college starts. maybe see if people could make it twice a week, something like that." I glance at the sword, wondering where she got it, but I don't ask. "Darn, if I'd known you were fencing I could have brought mine and gotten a little practice in."
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but who am I going to ask? Jordy? ha! right. He's trying to forget everything. Danny? ...Eric is dead.
So I'm fencing with ghosts.
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I stop when I see her, air fencing. With a fairly impressive sword, too. No clue where she would have gotten it from, but, man, her arm's not drooping at all. I think Giles might be right about the whole potential thing.
I clear my throat, and call softly, hoping not to interupt awkwardly and throw her off, "Amanda?"
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Buffy.
Buffy!
"gyah."I stop at the end of a lunge and have to do a hop to get myself balanced again so I don't fall on my face. "Um, Hi."
Oh god. I'm still holding my sword. It needs to go some where... after a minute of fumbling I just hold it behind my back, the scabbard is on the porch, too far away.
"Whatcha doing here?" I ask brightly.
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I glance at how she's hiding the sword. "It's okay--pretty cool, actually. You did great fighting the demons at the prom." I figure there's no point mincing words, she must have known they were somthing weird. "Kinda wanted to talk to you about that."
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"Sometimes it feels like I've been fencing forever." There that was true and nicely noncomital.
I'm not at all sure what prom has to do with anything.
"I didn't mean to start a riot."
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She looks nervous, am I making her nervous? "I just...well, I left a message for you, and wondered if you'd thought about the self-defense thing. Not that you're not doing a bang up job already, and with the fencing, too..." I think about how to phrase it. "I'm sort of an expert, and if you wanted some pointers on it, I'm offering lessons free to you girls. You and Dawn's other friends. I don't know if you get involved in that kind of fight often, but monster bashing can be dangerous."
Reply
"I'd like to um learn more self defense stuff. I mean I saw you at prom and you were really..." I just nod because I don't have the words, "...and I'd rather know what I'm doing."
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"Yeah, I'm...sort of a special case," I say. "Monster fighting is my specialty, but I figure there's no reason I can't pass on a few tips, right? So, it's cool that you're interested. I hope the others will be too, especially with everyone going off to college in a couple months."
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"When are you planning on it? Because I'll be there, and I'm gonna drag Janice along too." Maybe Jordy would be interested too. I'll have to ask people.
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