Willow Rosenberg

I was carrying a stack for Giles when it happened.

Wham!

Books and papers scattered everywhere.

I knelt down to gather them up and found another pair of hands helping me.

"Sorry about that." he said.

"Uh!" I squeaked.

Say something, Willow!

"Willow, right?" he said.

I gulped and nodded.

He smiled.

"I'm Marty." he said.

I opened and closed my mouth a few times.

"Where do these go?" he said, holding out a stack of books that I was holding a moment ago.

I pointed towards the library.

"Cool. I was heading there anyways." he said.

He stood up. I stood up. I realized that he was carrying almost all of the stack I started with. I had only picked up a few books.

He held the library door open for me.

Marty followed me in. Ms. Calendar had asked some students to help digitize the library's collection. Four computers had been set up on the desk in the middle of the floor. Besides the glow of the monitors, the only light came from the windows high on one wall. That light landed on the exasperated face of Giles talking to an amused Ms. Calendar.

"I assure you that my card catalog is more than adequate." Giles said.

"Your stuffy old card catalog is an antiquated system from a bygone era, like that outfit." Ms. Calendar said.

Giles started to clean his glasses when Marty cleared his throat. Ms. Calendar looked up at us.

"Ah, Willow, can I have you start scanning on this computer here?" she said, pointing to a computer at the far end of the desk, "And Marty, is it?" He nodded. "Will you start going through the new books in those crates over there?"

We worked like that in relative silence for about an hour. Buffy came in and began "helping". Marty had difficulties with one of the crates.

"Hey, Buffy?" he said, "Could you help me open this crate?"

"Sure." Buffy said, walking over and ripping the crate top off with her bare hands. Way to be discreet.

"Woah," Marty said, "this book looks old."

I looked up. Did Giles mix in some of his demon books?

"Mr. Giles, look at this." Marty said, "It has a picture of a devil on the front."

Giles went over to Marty.

"And look," Marty said, "it isn't even in English. Is this for the school?"

Giles took the book from him.

"It's, uh, for my private collection." he said.

"Cool." Marty said.

We kept working. It got dark. Most everyone left, it was just Marty, Giles, and me.

"Do you want help with that?" Marty asked me.

"I... I'm okay." I said.

"Cool." he said, "Be safe."

Ha! If only he knew.

And he left.

I never saw him at school again.