Class Assignment

We all know who is God. He owns them all. I just borrow occasionally, and return (relatively) intact. Thank you Joss.

Rupert Giles was humming as he sorted through a large pile of books. He had just had a new delivery. He often felt as though he were on a treasure hunt when sorting through the library’s latest additions. One always had to wade through the rubbish and dross, but occasionally, ah occasionally, one found that elusive gem that increased the value of one’s collection. He wished he could make the children understand that. The joy, the fun of discovering a remarkable book. It might be the one that helped them finally destroy their enemies, and the hellmouth, forever. And one just did not know until one had sorted through and read every book when it arrived.

His pleasurable musings were interrupted by the sound of the library door opening. He turned to see the Scooby gang entering the room. By the look of on their glum faces, the day’s schooling had not been a pleasant one. “Hello. What’s wrong?”

“Hi Giles.”

“Huh.” He really wished Buffy would not resort to monosyllabic answers.

“Hey G-man. Well look what cat got a bowl of cream.” Sometimes he just did not understand Xander’s parables. Actually, most of the time, he just didn’t understand Xander.

“Hey Giles. New books?” Even Willow looked depressed. And Willow loved school. Normally, she would have dived into his new book collection within 5 seconds of noticing it. Yes, something definitely had upset them.

“What? Oh, yes. Just arrived today actually.” He couldn’t help the anticipatory smile on his face. He would have such fun tonight. First, though, find out what had upset his young charges. “Why are you all so depressed? Has Principal Snyder been harassing you again?”

“No. Worse. Homework.” As Buffy hardly did any homework, he couldn’t understand her depression. Not knowing what else to do, he turned to the only person he knew he would get any sense out of.

“It’s English, Giles. Our teacher gave us an assignment. We have to write a short essay on the person who influenced us the most. And, we have to hand it in tomorrow.” Willow appeared almost in tears by the time she had finished.

“O-oh. Yes, yes I see.” He didn’t really. Perhaps if he played along, he might obtain more information. Meanwhile, he could continue sorting his books while listening to them.

“It isn’t that easy. I mean, what one person influenced me? Who made me what I am? Who caused me to make this decision, and not that? Who...?”

“Whoa. Chill Will. I mean it’s obvious who’s our biggest influence.” As the others looked at him, Xander continued. “Who caused us to be night birds? Who is a superhero? Who saves the world, night after night, without fanfare, without asking for thanks. Our own Buffster.”

“Gee, thanks Xander. But how are you going to put that in an essay?”

“Oh.” Suddenly noticing the unusual quietness from his girlfriend, he decided to torment her. “What about you, Cordy? Any thoughts on who is your greatest influence?”

“Oh, I already know who I’m going to write about.”

“Wait, don’t tell me. The man who gave your daddy his gold American Express. Or, the Chief Buyer at Tramps’R’Us.”

“Very funny, Dork Brain. You’ll just have to find out who he is tomorrow. And, you know? I’m going to be so busy on this, that I just won’t be able to go out tonight.” Xander now knew what the phrase ‘hoist by your own petard’ meant. They’d planned a real date, up at lookout point.

“What about you, Will? Who will you write about?”

“Well, boyfriends influence people don’t they?” As usual, Willow’s face light up with her ten megawatt smile, just at the thought of Oz. Buffy couldn’t help smile back at her. “What about you?”

“Oh, gee. How many people could have influenced me?”

“Your Mom? The Master?...”

“A million other demons, monsters and other various night creatures.”

“Angel?”

“Good and bad.” Once again, Xander was able to bring a pall of depression into the discussion. This was still the one subject that was a bone of contention between the friends.

“Merrick.”

“Your first Watcher?”

“Yeah. He activated me. And stopped me from getting killed when I met Lothos. Giles.”

Hearing his name, Giles couldn’t help the smile that came to his face. “Hey, Giles!”

“What?”

“Didn’t you hear me calling you?”

“No, sorry. I guess I was miles away.”

“You and your books. Anyway, seeing things have been so quiet, and as I have to do this assignment, how about one night off of slaying?”

“Y-yes. Of course. I’ll do a quick patrol, just to make sure. You, um, you stay home and work on your assignment.” He hurried away before they could see the hurt he felt. Did he mean so little to all of them?

The four friends turned to each other. What had him so wigged? Buffy shrugged. Oh, well. Probably off with the books again. They gathered their things and moved off, still discussing who they were going to write their essays about.

......................................................................

The Next Day

The students were all seated, waiting for their teacher. It was obvious that there had been a few sleepless nights. How many of them were due to the assignment was yet to be seen. Of course, Cordelia Chase looked as she always looked. Perfect. Her essay hadn’t been as easy for her to write as she’d thought. She’d told the truth. She already knew her subject. She just hadn’t known how to start. She hoped it was all right.

A movement at the door caused the students to stop their chatter and turn to the front.

“Ah. G-good morning. I’m a-afraid your teacher has called i-in sick today, and Principal Snyder has asked me to fill in. I, um, I understand that you all had an assignment last night? I shall call your names out alphabetically. If you will just stand up and read your essay out loud, and then I shall collect them at the end of the day.” Giles sat down heavily. That part had passed on all right. He didn’t want to be here. And from the looks on the faces of the Scooby gang, they didn’t want him here either. Well. Fine. Let them talk about the great influences in their lives. He’ll treat them like the other students. Thank them nicely. Take their assignments, and excuse the class. They’ll never see how much they had hurt him. He noticed that all the students were looking at him expectantly. “Right. Miss Chase.”

Cordelia stood up nervously, straightened her skirt and cleared her throat. “The person who most influenced me.”

I chose this person, not only for the influence he’s had on me, but also on my friends. Even though we’re all different, and scare him, he’s accepted us and helped us. He has shown me that it’s all right to be yourself. That even if you look like a stereotype, you don’t have to be a stereotype. I think he was the first person who saw the real me. The part of me that I don’t show? And, even the part that I do show? Hey, that’s all right. Because it’s me too. And, I know, if anything happened. Between me and my friends. Or to any of my friends. He’d still be there. Because that’s the kind of person he is. He’s sneaky too. You don’t realise until it’s too late, that he’s become important to you. Then, you have no choice. You have to take care of him. I guess, the way he’s influenced me the most is to say ‘Cordelia Chase, you are a worthy person, and you can achieve whatever you want by being yourself.’ I’m glad he watches over all of us.

As she stopped, she looked up at Giles and smiled. The whole class was surprised by what she had written. None of them had expected such a thing from her. But the most surprised of all was Giles. He couldn’t help smiling back at her. She had just given him what Willow called a happy. “Thank you, Cordelia. That was very nice. Now, Mr. Dalton.”

He listened to the next three students with only half an ear. It was the usual teenage stuff. He was beginning to get nervous. What had Xander written about Buffy? “Thank you, Ms Green. Very, um, very interesting. Now, Mr. Harris.”

Xander stood up nervously, and wiped his sweaty palms on his trousers. He still couldn’t get over Cordelia. Now he was going to sound like an idiot. “The person who has influenced me most.”

Isn’t the person I thought. It isn’t a sex symbol. Or even a superhero. It isn’t somebody that you look at and think ‘I want to be like him.’ The person who influenced me showed me that not everything is as it appears. That, sometimes, you have to look deeper to find the truth. That pretty isn’t always nice. Although it can be. And not so pretty can be darn perfect sometimes. That you don’t have to shout your successes. And that it’s all right to make mistakes. It’s what makes us human. It’s what you do with those mistakes that makes you. And not everyone can be, or has to be, a superhero. But everybody can be a hero. And this person is a hero. He just doesn’t need to tell everybody about it. And, you know what? I want to be like him.

Xander looked up at Giles. He could feel his eyes go misty. He hoped the rest of the class didn’t see. It was all right though. Giles knew who he was talking about. The gentle smile proved it.

“Thank you Mr. Harris.” Giles hoped they didn’t hear the slight huskiness in his voice. He felt such gratitude toward the younger man. And pride. He cleared his throat. “Next. Mr., er Jackson.”

The rest of the class stood and read their essays. Fathers, teachers, even a few idols. So normal. He couldn’t help stealing a glance at the clock. Hopefully, the class would end before the last two names had to be called. He noticed they were doing the same thing. Obviously not looking forward to their moment of fame. Time was running out. But so were the other students.

“Thank you Ms Richards. The, um, the next student is Miss Rosenburg.” As Willow stood,the lunch bell rang. It covered the sound of three heartfelt sighs.

“Just a minute. I’m sure none of you would mind missing a few minutes’ lunch to hear your fellow classmates recite their assignments.” Damn the little snitch. How long had he been listening? “Miss Rosenburg?”

“Yes Principal Snyder.” Willow looked down at her paper. She wasn’t going to look up again. “The person who most influenced me”

Actually, there are two. They both have had equal influence. But there is one who I want to mention today. You see, she’s dead. Before she died, she taught me. Not just a class, but about life. She saw a potential that most people didn’t. She showed me that other people might be interested in me, in what I have to say. Even though my friends liked me, and encouraged me, she looked into my heart. She found something, and watered it with her gentleness, and fed it with her guidance. She said ‘Willow, one day the world will see what I do. And they’ll come to appreciate you for what you are. Don’t change for them. They’ll change for you.’ She was different. Her beliefs were different. Her ideas. But she wore that difference like a cloak. And she wore it with self-confidence. And, you know? The one thing she showed me. She made a mistake. A big mistake. But she didn’t just give up, and run away and hide. She tried to fix that mistake. And no matter how many times she got knocked down, or knocked back, she came back for more. Until, until she fixed it. So, she showed me how to be strong. No matter what life throws at you. And to be true to yourself. And she still influences me. With her memories. And with the other person. The one she left behind. He strengthens all she taught me and more. Where she left off, he has continued. He has encouraged me to learn, to explore. And what I am, what I will be in the future, will be because of these two people.

“Thank you.” Willow couldn’t stop crying. But they were obviously happy tears. Giles felt his heart overflow. He wiped his own tears away. It was all right for the other children to see this. They’d known he and Jenny had been going out. But the tears were for him as well. And Willow.

Principal Snyder was definitely feeling uncomfortable. His main target hadn’t been the Rosenburg girl. But he’d hoped to score a few points. Now he felt guilty. There was only one way to make him feel better. “Miss Summers.”

Buffy was still wiping away her own tears. She couldn’t look at Giles. She had never been so proud of her friends. And, she was ready. She had worked hard at this. She just wished that some of the audience wasn’t here. “The person who has influenced me the most.”

When I start this essay, I didn’t know who to choose. There have been so many influences on my life, both good and bad. Some have been devastating, some joyous. But they have all helped to shape me into the person I am. So I looked at those who I thought had had the strongest influence on me. But as I thought about them, and wrote about them, something else kept popping up. Someone else. Because, every time they were there, so was he. He didn’t barge into my life. He didn’t shake my world. He didn’t keep clamoring for my attention. Instead, he stepped quietly into my life. When everything was rocky, he kept my world propped up. Instead of asking for my attention, he gave me his. He gave up everything to be there for me. And he never asked anything in return. Even when I behaved in a way that I know disappointed him, he didn’t abandon me. He didn’t reprove me, or become angry. He gave me his ‘support and respect’. He showed in every way, that he valued me. As a person. And he gave me room to grow. He never treated me as a child, but a human. And he showed me that being yourself doesn’t mean telling everybody who you are. It means doing what you have to do, and knowing who you are. And accepting it. And liking it. The person who influenced me most is my best friend. My mentor. And my partner. I don’t say it often enough, but I’m grateful every moment for the day he entered my life. And, I know that I’ll never know how much he has affected my life. But I thank him now. And, for as long as we’re together, he will be the most important, and the most influential, person in my life.

Buffy sat down. Once again the tears were flowing. If she’d turned around, she would have noticed others were crying too. And not just her friends. Other member of the class had been moved by her speech, and wished they had a friend like the one she described.

Giles had never felt so devastated, or so joyous. He had come in here hating them. Now he was so proud of them. His children. Only, they weren’t children. They were adults. And they had grown up in front of his eyes. “Class dismissed.” He didn’t notice Snyder sneaking out with the students. It didn’t matter. What mattered were the four young people standing near his desk. He got up, moved round the front and leaned against his desk. When he thought he could talk, he cleared his throat. “Have I ever told you how much you all mean to me?”

“Yeah. Every day.”

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