Title: Breaking Free: Amy's in Love, part 1
Author: Persephone
Email: persephone45@go.com
Date: April 13, 1999
This is my first fanfic, so go easy on me! Spelling and Grammar
errors are my pet peeves, so if you find any, kill me (not really,
just email me and tell me to CHANGE IT).
I really LOVE Serena and Darien stories, especially first season
romances, and would really have loved to write one, but this is what I
ended up writing. I just felt that Amy needed some credit, and I feel
like people misunderstand her a lot. She's a lot more than equations
and books! (No, she's not my favorite character, I just felt compelled
to write something about her)
I am using the North American names, mostly because their easier
for me to remember and spell, and because I've only seen the dub. (poor
pitiful me, if anyone would like to send me subtitled MOVIES or the
manga, I would love them forever ^^)
I'd like to acknowlage my inspiration for this fic: Jennifer Wand's
Darien's View, Crystal Heart's Masquerade, and Alicia Blade's Winning
Love and A Dance to Remember. All of these fics are /wonderful/.
Special thanks go out to Alicia Blade, for reading this for me and
giving me so much wonderful encouragement. She is a wonderful writer,
and probably doesn't need publicity from me!
Sailor Moon, and the characters from the series, is copyrighted to
DIC, TOEI Animation, and a bunch of other big companies, but first and
most importantly to the great, wonderful, deserving of cult worship,
Naoko Takeuchi who thought up Sailor Moon in the first place. This
story, however, is mine. (copyrighted 1999)
Now, I know everyone has had quite enough of my babble, I hope you
enjoy the fic more than the AN!
~~~~~
Amy was almost visibly trembling when Mrs. Johnson was handing back
the classes' essays. Amy had had a really hard time thinking of
something to write a "personal essay" about. To her surprise, she
didn't get a paper back. Of course, she was used to being used as an
example, but she really didn't think she had done well enough on the
assignment to merit any special attention.
Literature had always been a sleep class and a guaranteed 'A' before
Mrs. Johnson's class. Because of scheduling, Amy hadn't been put in
the Advanced Lit. course until second semester. Now that she was, she
was wondering if it was the greatest of ideas. Mrs. Johnson was the
world's scariest teacher. She assigned two essays in one night and
expected them to be better than good, she expected her students to be
able to analyze Keats and Donne perfectly in one night. She chewed
students out for having homework that was not up to her very high
standards. Everyone walked softly around the moody Literature teacher.
So when she kept Amy after class, the girl had reason to be
frightened. "Amy, I know you're considered the brightest student at the
school, but your reputation does NOT substitute for work in my class,
young lady. I am disgusted with this essay and I know you can do
better. I think it's time you learned that literature and creative
writing are every bit as important as mathematics and science. You will
devote just as much, if not more, time to your language studies as you
do your other subjects, do you understand me, Ms. Anderson?"
Amy gaped at her teacher in astonishment; she had never been spoken
to in this manner before. In fact, she had never been reprimanded by a
teacher for anything, much less her schoolwork. Her eyes began to fill
with tears as she swallowed to keep from crying. She nodded and choked
out, "Yes, ma'am." Mrs. Johnson smiled and handed her the red ink
covered paper, saying cheerfully, "Good. I'm glad we had this little
talk.
"Nicholas, do you have that new poem worked out yet?" Amy realized
then that someone else had witnessed the lecture. She whirled toward
the door, the damning paper clutched in her hand. She ran out of the
classroom, tears already streaming down her face.
---
"No, ma'am, I'm sorry. I have to get to class now, Mrs. Johnson."
He rushed out after Amy, looking around for a sign of the petite girl.
'Mrs. Johnson had NO right to treat Amy that way! It's not her fault
she doesn't know what's expected of her. I saw her face, I know she
must have TRIED on that essay!'
Nick saw the door to the school's massive library swing shut and
groaned; it'd take forever to find someone in there, if she were
hiding. He went in, dropping his book back quietly by the door before
venturing into the tall stacks. Walking down the main aisle, he was
shocked to see Amy huddled against one of the tall book shelves in a
little ball, sobbing into her knees. 'She's crying in the POETRY
section? That must be a sign or something.' He quietly went and knelt
in front of her, a concerned look in his forest green eyes. "Amy?"
---
Those eyes were the first think Amy saw when she lifted her head
from her blue skirt. 'Wow' was her breathless thought, even in her
current state. Then she realized that the owner of those beautiful eyes
had seen her humiliation my Mrs. Johnson. Not only that, but he was her
prize student. "Just leave me alone, okay?" she said in a quiet,
strained voice. 'So he's come to laugh at 'Amazing Amy' finally making
a bad grade! Well, that's just great. Fitting that he be the first,
since he's such a writing GOD'
"Hey, I just wanted to make sure you're okay. Mrs. Johnson was
totally unnecessary, going off on you like that. She has a prejudice
against math and science students." He smiled in reassurance. Even
though he was Satan's prize student, Amy couldn't help but take a soft
breath in admiration. 'He's pretty! Of course, he doesn't have to
worry about his Lit. grade.' she finished the thought sourly, feeling
that it was going in an entirely too dangerous direction.
---
Nick just knelt in front of the crying girl, letting her pour her
anger and frustration out at him. "I know, Mrs. Johnson expects every
student to know exactly what she wants. You need a prep course in ESP
before you can get a good grade in her class! I'll help you learn what
she wants you to know, if you want me to. I've had her class since
seventh grade." He couldn't quite explain the little flip his stomach
seemed to do when she smiled in relief and asked, "Would you really?"
---
"Yea, sure, no problem! Everyone who comes into her class later than
eighth grade needs a little help. I'll meet you here after school,
then?" Amy nodded and smiled sheepishly as she wiped her eyes. She
felt so much better when he smiled reassuringly before he walked away.
He was very nice looking. 'Oh come on, Amy, he's just trying to help,
probably so you don't hold up the class with your ignorance. The fact
that he is tall and handsome and smart has no relevance what so ever to
your relationship with him!' Yet she couldn't help but smile at the
thought of his worried green eyes.
---
Nick happily copied down the math problems; not even Algebra II could
defeat his good mood. Not that it had anything to do with Amy, not her
as a person, anyway. He was just looking forward to the look on Mrs.
Johnson's face when the new math and science student could rattle off
Lit. answers just as plainly and as intelligently as she did everything
else. 'That's it, I just love to see Mrs. Johnson off balance, it's a
nice change from her constantly bullying everyone else.' Amy was
awfully pretty though, with her delicate frame and huge, sad blue eyes.
It had hurt him to see her cry. 'Get real, Webster, Amy Anderson is
entirely out of your league, you probably won't understand a word she
says! The only reason she needs your help is because Mrs. Johnson is so
particular about having things done her way.'
---
"So, Amy, are you coming to watch me beat Sailor V this afternoon?"
Serena bubbled happily, shoving food into her mouth.
"Oh, Serena, really can't! I have to go to the library this
afternoon for tutoring." Amy tried not to blush, Serena was the one
that usually needed help with her studies. What would she think of
Sailor Mercury's failing paper?
"Oh, that's really great of you to help out people who don't
understand stuff, Ames!" Of course Serena would think her brilliant
friend was the one doing the tutoring! "Well, actually..." Amy began to
study her shoe laces with every appearance of rapt attention, "I need
help in Literature, so Nick, he's this guy in my Advanced Lit. class, is
going to give me a hand." She prepared herself for the shocked
statement that was sure to come.
"Nick Webster?!" Serena dropped her chopsticks as Amy, still
fascinated by her shoes, nodded slowly. "He's sooooo hot! Amy, you're
soooo lucky! I heard he quotes love poetry! What a hunk! I wish I was
in your class!"
"Huh?" was Amy's confused response. That's not the shocked statement
she expected.
"Oooh, do you think he'll ask you out?! You definitely need a new
outfit for this! Wait 'til I tell Lita! She'll flip! What are you
going to do with your hair? And-"
"Serena! Hey, he's just going to help me with my schoolwork." Amy
was bright red and picking at the hem of her shirt.
"Ames! Get real! Like you really need any help with your SCHOOLWORK!
Whatever! Come on, he must've just wanted to spend time with you, you
lucky girl!" Serena elbowed her and winked outrageously.
Always honest to the letter, Amy spoke up, quietly, carefully picking
a stitch out of her shirt hem. "I failed a paper, and he was there when
the teacher yelled and me, and so he offered to help, probably out of
pity." She gulped back tears as she saw Serena staring in absolute
shock. Amy waited for the bomb to fall. Everyone was disappointed in
her. She just knew it. 'And Serena looks up to me, too...' She blinked
hard to keep back the tears that threatened to fall.
"Oh! Ames, I'm sooooo sorry! Are you okay? I'm so stupid!
I didn't even realize you were upset about something! I'll-"
Amy interrupted her again, "No, Serena, it's okay, you didn't know,
it's not like it's something anyone expects..." She trailed off again, a
lump blocking her throat. 'That's right, everyone expects the best, and
I've failed them. I've failed my mother, and the Scouts! I'm supposed
to be the smart one!'
Serena threw her arms around Amy, "Hey, it'll be okay, Amy, it's just
one grade, and I know you can fix it!" She released the girl and
bounced away, leaving her empty lunch bag on the ground.
---
Tutoring. Amy Anderson was getting tutored. 'I'm not sure this is
such a good idea. I can work the Lit. out by myself. I mean, everyone
will be so disappointed in me if I have to have help... it wouldn't even
seem like my 'A' if I make one with help!' she didn't have any more
time to think about it, because Nick walked through the library door.
He smiled when he saw her and she was sure she started to blush. 'What's
wrong with me? He's just a guy, like Greg!' But Serena's gushing about
Nick's looks was all Amy could think about.
---
'Is she blushing?! I wonder why? Probably because she has to be
tutored...' He walked over to her and they moved to a table. "Hey! I
thought were meeting in the poetry section?" He said, trying to say
anything to break the ice. She blushed again, ducking her head. 'That
is adorable...' All he could do was look at her until she piped up in
that quiet voice of hers, "Oh, I didn't think you meant literally
exactly where we were when you said 'here.'"
"'sokay, I didn't, it was a joke." He shook his head. 'See, all
math, no humanities. Get real man, you're not her type.'
---
'Stupid, of course it was a joke... why can't I say the right things,
ever! Not that he would ever see me as a companion, anyway, but I
could at least be personable.'
"Would you rather work on your essay, or tonight's assignment?" He
asked, pulling her out of her self-depreciating tirade.
---
"Um, can we work on tonight's assignment? I'm not really sure what
she means when she says 'do' a poem." She began to finger the hem of
her shirt, which looked awfully ragged. 'A nervous habit? She's so
unsure...' Nick smiled, hoping to put the petite girl more at ease.
She just ducked her head and waited for his answer.
"Well, she basically means find out everything you can about a poem."
He smiled again at her dismayed look. 'Sir Nicholas to the rescue, fair
damsel.' "It's not as hard as it sounds, there is a systematic way to
do this. I usually start by looking up any unfamiliar words." 'like
that'll be a problem for you.'
They worked for about an hour before Amy said she had to go to a
computer class. "Thanks a lot, Nick, this really did help..."
"Well, look, we can work tomorrow, too, maybe on your essay?" He
said in a rush; anything to get her to say she'd come back the next day.
'Man, what is your deal, Webster? You'd think you had a thing for her,
or something! Dream on. She doesn't go out, anyway... even if she is
awfully pretty. STOP THAT!'
"Thank you soooo much! That would be really great, I've got to book
it, but no class tomorrow, so we can work longer, maybe." She picked up
her stuff and hurried out the door. Nick sat and stared after her.
'Did Amy Anderson just say "book it?" Wow'
Amy had gotten a lot easier to talk to as they started working. It
was like as soon as school work was the topic of conversation, she
didn't have a problem. 'I don't think it's because she has nothing else
to talk about. It seems more that she finds it safer to talk about
school? Nick, this is Amy Anderson, girl genius. She probably just
doesn't have anything to talk to me about.'
---
'He is so good looking. I almost choked ever time he smiled. What
if I could really talk to him. I wonder if he worries about what people
expect of him? Probably not, what he does is so natural for him.'
---
Amy talked about math all through dinner. Her mom had actually been
able to sit through the whole thing without being called back to the
hospital. Just Amy's luck she would ask about the Literature paper.
Amy was frozen for a moment, then blinked and swallowed tightly. 'Here
goes, I hope she's not too disappointed.' "Ummm, well, I didn't do too
well, Mum. I did pretty badly." Amy paused for a minute to collect
herself. Before her mother could respond, she rushed on, "but I'm
working really hard and I'm getting some extra help..." Amy's nails bit
into her palms as she raised her eyes to her mother's face. 'Please,
please, please, please, please don't be upset! Please don't be
disappointed. Please tell me it's good enough to try. Please, God,
do not let me cry!'
Her mother was looking at her with concern. "Amy, is everything
all right at school?" was her puzzled question.
Amy almost sighed in relief. 'Of course she would assume it's
something other than me.' Her short lived respite crumbled when she
realized she had to tell her mom that she just failed with no real
excuse. "No, ma'am. I guess I'm just not used to such a difficult
Literature course."
Ruth Anderson frowned. "Well, as long as you try harder, Amy. Just
because you've straight A's in everything else, that doesn't mean you
can slack up in Literature."
Ruth's beeper went off then, and she smiled at her daughter, who was
fiddling with her shirt. "Amy, I've got to go to the hospital now. Try
harder, okay, sweetie?" She leaned over and kissed Amy on the cheek
before she pulled on the white doctor's jacket and left the apartment.
As soon as the door shut, Amy burst into tears. She left the dishes
on the table, didn't finish her science homework, and went straight to
bed. She cried herself to sleep. 'I let everyone down.'
copyright 1999, Adryan Haik
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