190 Ficlet: Everyday Heroes
Title: Everyday Heroes
Author: Rebcake
Rating: PG
Word Count: 625
Prompt: 190 - Back to school free for all
Characters: Buffy and a few new transfer kids from other high schools. See if you can spot the non-Joss teen comedies!
Summary: A typical school day for Buffy, circa Gingerbread. I used a smidge of dialog from the episode, but I don't own anything!
Buffy marched up the stairs to Sunnydale High, arms swinging. She paused as she noticed a kid duct-taped to the flagpole. But then Veronica pulled out a knife and began to cut him free, and the gathering crowd dispersed, so she continued on her way. Veronica might get in trouble for having a knife at school, but Buffy figured that Snyder’s constant refrain of “zero tolerance” for weaponry was as laughable to Veronica as it was to her.
Some poor freshman wearing a beanie was being stuffed into a locker down at the end of the first floor hall, but Buffy saw that Riff and her friend had just come to his aid. They seemed to be handling those bullying “hall monitors” just fine. Riff might be a fashion victim, but she wasn’t a victim in any other sense. Buffy nodded with satisfaction, and headed for her own locker up on the second floor.
At the top of the stairs, a curly-haired girl was giggling and playing around with a couple of jocks. Nothing seemed amiss, but Buffy knew how these things could turn in an instant. She monitored the situation while continuing on her way. Sure enough, when she reached the opposite side of the balcony, the girl started shrieking as she was held partially over the balustrade, her head craning around to see the ground 25 feet below. Buffy turned back in a flash. Before she took two steps, the new kid - that guy who dressed as well as Cordelia - intervened and hauled the girl to safety while chewing out the heedless boys. He looked like he might last after all. She’d have to take him aside for a few Sunnydale Survival Pointers soon.
While she was getting out her books for her first class, she overheard Larry complaining about a band of idiots that had stuck Artie, that wheelchair kid, in one of the porta-potties out by the athletic field the previous afternoon. He and Finn had heard his cries and got him out before the practice field had emptied for the night.
“It was dangerous, man! They think it’s funny, but this is freaking Sunnydale!” He held up a packet and shook it in front of his friend’s face.
“We’ll see how funny it is when they find itching powder in their jocks. At least it doesn’t lead to neck trauma, am I right?”
Buffy considered confiscating the packet, but decided that Larry had a point about what constituted mortal danger. This seemed to come under the heading of “natural consequences of the non-lethal kind”, so she shrugged and headed to class.
A few doors down, Michael and Amy were having a heated discussion with Roy and his “Recking Crew”. Roy didn’t spell so well. Amy was right in Roy’s face, but he pushed her aside and grabbed Michael, slamming him against the lockers. Buffy slipped through the crowd to stand next to Michael. She looked expectantly at Roy and the Crew, with lots of eye contact. The Crew stepped back. Roy let go of Michael’s shirt, and attempted to smooth out the wrinkles.
“No problem here. We’re walking,” he said to Buffy, and managed a (for him) dignified retreat. Every other day it was something with that guy, but he was learning.
“You guys okay?”
Michael checked his makeup in his locker door mirror. Satisfied, he replied, “We’re fine.”
“Thanks, Buffy,” said Amy.
As they walked away, Buffy reflected that it was a pretty mellow day, so far. Giles would be able to crack the code of this week’s horror soon, and she’d do her slaying thing. As long as people continued to back each other up like they were, and didn’t give in to their fear, it would all be fine.
FIN
Author: Rebcake
Rating: PG
Word Count: 625
Prompt: 190 - Back to school free for all
Characters: Buffy and a few new transfer kids from other high schools. See if you can spot the non-Joss teen comedies!
Summary: A typical school day for Buffy, circa Gingerbread. I used a smidge of dialog from the episode, but I don't own anything!
Buffy marched up the stairs to Sunnydale High, arms swinging. She paused as she noticed a kid duct-taped to the flagpole. But then Veronica pulled out a knife and began to cut him free, and the gathering crowd dispersed, so she continued on her way. Veronica might get in trouble for having a knife at school, but Buffy figured that Snyder’s constant refrain of “zero tolerance” for weaponry was as laughable to Veronica as it was to her.
Some poor freshman wearing a beanie was being stuffed into a locker down at the end of the first floor hall, but Buffy saw that Riff and her friend had just come to his aid. They seemed to be handling those bullying “hall monitors” just fine. Riff might be a fashion victim, but she wasn’t a victim in any other sense. Buffy nodded with satisfaction, and headed for her own locker up on the second floor.
At the top of the stairs, a curly-haired girl was giggling and playing around with a couple of jocks. Nothing seemed amiss, but Buffy knew how these things could turn in an instant. She monitored the situation while continuing on her way. Sure enough, when she reached the opposite side of the balcony, the girl started shrieking as she was held partially over the balustrade, her head craning around to see the ground 25 feet below. Buffy turned back in a flash. Before she took two steps, the new kid - that guy who dressed as well as Cordelia - intervened and hauled the girl to safety while chewing out the heedless boys. He looked like he might last after all. She’d have to take him aside for a few Sunnydale Survival Pointers soon.
While she was getting out her books for her first class, she overheard Larry complaining about a band of idiots that had stuck Artie, that wheelchair kid, in one of the porta-potties out by the athletic field the previous afternoon. He and Finn had heard his cries and got him out before the practice field had emptied for the night.
“It was dangerous, man! They think it’s funny, but this is freaking Sunnydale!” He held up a packet and shook it in front of his friend’s face.
“We’ll see how funny it is when they find itching powder in their jocks. At least it doesn’t lead to neck trauma, am I right?”
Buffy considered confiscating the packet, but decided that Larry had a point about what constituted mortal danger. This seemed to come under the heading of “natural consequences of the non-lethal kind”, so she shrugged and headed to class.
A few doors down, Michael and Amy were having a heated discussion with Roy and his “Recking Crew”. Roy didn’t spell so well. Amy was right in Roy’s face, but he pushed her aside and grabbed Michael, slamming him against the lockers. Buffy slipped through the crowd to stand next to Michael. She looked expectantly at Roy and the Crew, with lots of eye contact. The Crew stepped back. Roy let go of Michael’s shirt, and attempted to smooth out the wrinkles.
“No problem here. We’re walking,” he said to Buffy, and managed a (for him) dignified retreat. Every other day it was something with that guy, but he was learning.
“You guys okay?”
Michael checked his makeup in his locker door mirror. Satisfied, he replied, “We’re fine.”
“Thanks, Buffy,” said Amy.
As they walked away, Buffy reflected that it was a pretty mellow day, so far. Giles would be able to crack the code of this week’s horror soon, and she’d do her slaying thing. As long as people continued to back each other up like they were, and didn’t give in to their fear, it would all be fine.
FIN