Author's Note: Alright, I finally got more reviews! Thank you all you
wonderful reviewers. Just a note, I do not fence. All I know about fencing
I got from an encyclopedia.
Disclaimer: Refer to Chapter One
Story Title: Gerald Learns to Fence
Chapter Title: Never Let Your Guard Down
It was after school, Friday, a day before the match. Gerald was at the Heyerdahl's, in a sparring practice with Phoebe. He had learned the basics surprisingly fast in the past few days, even with the distraction brought about by being in Phoebe's presence.
Gerald was sparring with Phoebe and, to both his and her surprise, actually giving Phoebe a hard time. It was four minutes and thirty seconds into the practice bout and Gerald was leading with four good hits to Phoebe's three.
Gerald lunged, but Phoebe parried his thrust and launched one of her own. The tip of her epee struck Gerald's left arm, tying the score. The next person to get a good hit would win the game. They drew back slightly from each other.
"I must say, I'm very impressed with how fast you've learned, Gerald." Phoebe commented.
"Thanks, I might even beat Rex tomorrow." Gerald answered as he lunged. "But now, I'll beat you."
"You may be able to defeat Rex tomorrow," Phoebe said as she parried. "But you will not defeat me."
Gerald smiled as he swung the sword to parry her strike. "We'll see."
The two continued to spar, striking and blocking with great vigor. Phoebe suddenly lunged in a way that almost caught Gerald off guard, but he parried it just in time. Before Gerald could perform a strike of his own, though, Phoebe struck again. The epee almost struck Gerald's abdomen, but he managed to dodge out of its way.
Gerald then initiated several hard lunges. This time, it was Phoebe's turn to start parrying and blocking. She leaned back to avoid Gerald's epee, but Gerald leaned over a little and touched the tip of his sword to her helmet.
"I win." Gerald said, smiling.
Phoebe didn't answer, she had leaned back too far and was starting to lose her balance. She finally fell on her back on the fencing room floor.
Gerald chuckled as he took off his helmet. He stuck his hand out to help Phoebe get up. She takes off her own helmet and takes his hand. "Looks like I've learned all your lessons perfectly." Gerald commented as he pulled her up.
"Not quite." Phoebe said. "You seem to keep on forgetting one critical lesson."
Gerald cocked an eyebrow. "Oh yeah, what?"
Phoebe smiled. "Never let your guard down!" she said, suddenly tackling Gerald down to the floor.
"Hey!" he exclaimed. "This ain't fencing."
"No," Phoebe said. "But it illustrates my point perfectly."
"I'll keep that in mind." Gerald said in a serious tone. Then, he started to chuckle, and so did Phoebe. Their chuckles soon turned to laughter.
"Okay," Gerald admitted, laughing. "You got me good."
"But you won." Phoebe pointed out. "I've only taught you for less than a week and you've managed to defeat me, and I've been fencing for years." She shook her head in admiration. "You're amazing, Gerald."
"Yeah, well, you're a great teacher." Gerald complemented. He had suddenly become aware of the position he and Phoebe were in. And, after seeing a blush on Phoebe's face, he guessed that she'd become aware of that fact too.
"Uh..."
"Um..."
They both were at a loss for words at that moment. They stared at each other and came to another realization: Their faces were only about a foot apart.
They continued to stare at each other's faces and, before they knew what they were doing, they started to close the gap. Their lips drew closer, closer...
Suddenly, the door to the fencing room opened. It's Phoebe's mother, Reba. "Phoebe, I brought some iced tea in case you and your friend are—oh!"
She suddenly exclaims, seeing her daughter atop Gerald. Phoebe quickly scrambled off and Gerald quickly sits up.
"Mother! Um, uh, we were...sparring practice...demonstrate...not let guard down..." Phoebe blurted out.
"Mrs. Heyerdahl! Uh, I wasn't, um... that was...oh geez..." Gerald stuttered.
"Oh, okay," Reba said slowly. "I'll just leave the iced tea here."
She sets down the tray and exits the room, leaving two very embarrassed ten-year-olds.
Phoebe and Gerald look down on the floor in embarrassed silence. 'What happened? Were we about to...to...' Phoebe thought. She looked at Gerald, but quickly looked away because at that moment he had also looked up.
'Man, what was I doing?' thought Gerald. 'Was I just about to kiss Phoebe?!'
The silence continued for a while. Finally, as the silence became unbearable, they both decided to speak up.
"Um..." they said together. They looked at each other and said together: "No, you first."
Both of them chuckle nervously at the fact that they had spoken the exact same thing together. Gerald finally decides to talk first. "Uh, Phoebe, um, were we about to, uh, er..."
Phoebe's face turns bright red. "Um, I guess so..."
"Did you, uh, want to?" Gerald slowly asked, seeing Phoebe's face turn even redder he quickly added. "Sorry! I didn't mean that...er...what I meant to say is...oh, man."
Another awkward silence passed. Phoebe then asked tentatively. "Gerald, do you, um, like-like me?"
Gerald quickly looked away in embarrassment. 'Is she asking because she like-likes me too?' Gerald asked himself mentally. 'Or is it because she thought I was trying to make a move on her?'
"Uh..." Gerald began. "Um...eh...er...yeah."
Phoebe looked up. "Really?"
"Yeah..." Gerald said slowly, unsure about Phoebe's reaction.
She smiles shyly. "That's a relief, I thought you didn't feel the same way."
"Huh?" Gerald said, looking up. "You mean you like-like me too?"
"Why do you think I inquired?" she replied, blushing.
He smiled at her. "Wow, all this time we felt the same way."
"Yes."
"Y'know, it's kinda funny. My biggest distraction while you were teaching me was the fact that I couldn't stop staring at you."
Phoebe blushed. "You flatter me."
"I'm not." Gerald replied. "You really are pretty, but that's not the reason I like-like you."
Phoebe looked at him, he continued: "I like-like you because," he paused. "Because you're kind, smart, patient and tolerant. I mean, you do manage to bear being with Helga."
Phoebe blushed even more. Gerald took a deep breath and continued: ""How 'bout you? Why do you like-like me?"
"Well," she answered. "It's because you're witty, funny, and also a very loyal person. You've stuck by Arnold many times and I find your loyalty, well, admirable."
"Gee," Gerald said. "Thanks for telling me."
Phoebe just nods and smiles. She and Gerald looked at each other.
Finally, Phoebe broke the spell. "Well, um, I guess that's all. You should be able to defeat Rex Smythe-Higgins tomorrow."
"Of course," Gerald said, smiling. "You taught me."
Phoebe smiled and blushed slightly. "You're too kind."
"Uh, well, I gotta go home."
"Oh, um, yes, of course."
Gerald takes off the fencing gear and exits the fencing room. Phoebe walks him to the front door.
"Uh, Phoebe." Gerald said as he stepped out of the Heyerdahl's house.
"Yes?"
"Would you, um, like to come and watch my match with Rex tomorrow?"
"Sure. Why not?" Phoebe replied. Gerald smiled and thanked her. As Phoebe watched him walk away she thought: 'I know you'll be the victor, Gerald.'
Author's Note: Okay, I thought that was a little too corny. But what the heck, that's the way I wrote it. Chapter Four is coming up, please review this one.
Disclaimer: Refer to Chapter One
Story Title: Gerald Learns to Fence
Chapter Title: Never Let Your Guard Down
It was after school, Friday, a day before the match. Gerald was at the Heyerdahl's, in a sparring practice with Phoebe. He had learned the basics surprisingly fast in the past few days, even with the distraction brought about by being in Phoebe's presence.
Gerald was sparring with Phoebe and, to both his and her surprise, actually giving Phoebe a hard time. It was four minutes and thirty seconds into the practice bout and Gerald was leading with four good hits to Phoebe's three.
Gerald lunged, but Phoebe parried his thrust and launched one of her own. The tip of her epee struck Gerald's left arm, tying the score. The next person to get a good hit would win the game. They drew back slightly from each other.
"I must say, I'm very impressed with how fast you've learned, Gerald." Phoebe commented.
"Thanks, I might even beat Rex tomorrow." Gerald answered as he lunged. "But now, I'll beat you."
"You may be able to defeat Rex tomorrow," Phoebe said as she parried. "But you will not defeat me."
Gerald smiled as he swung the sword to parry her strike. "We'll see."
The two continued to spar, striking and blocking with great vigor. Phoebe suddenly lunged in a way that almost caught Gerald off guard, but he parried it just in time. Before Gerald could perform a strike of his own, though, Phoebe struck again. The epee almost struck Gerald's abdomen, but he managed to dodge out of its way.
Gerald then initiated several hard lunges. This time, it was Phoebe's turn to start parrying and blocking. She leaned back to avoid Gerald's epee, but Gerald leaned over a little and touched the tip of his sword to her helmet.
"I win." Gerald said, smiling.
Phoebe didn't answer, she had leaned back too far and was starting to lose her balance. She finally fell on her back on the fencing room floor.
Gerald chuckled as he took off his helmet. He stuck his hand out to help Phoebe get up. She takes off her own helmet and takes his hand. "Looks like I've learned all your lessons perfectly." Gerald commented as he pulled her up.
"Not quite." Phoebe said. "You seem to keep on forgetting one critical lesson."
Gerald cocked an eyebrow. "Oh yeah, what?"
Phoebe smiled. "Never let your guard down!" she said, suddenly tackling Gerald down to the floor.
"Hey!" he exclaimed. "This ain't fencing."
"No," Phoebe said. "But it illustrates my point perfectly."
"I'll keep that in mind." Gerald said in a serious tone. Then, he started to chuckle, and so did Phoebe. Their chuckles soon turned to laughter.
"Okay," Gerald admitted, laughing. "You got me good."
"But you won." Phoebe pointed out. "I've only taught you for less than a week and you've managed to defeat me, and I've been fencing for years." She shook her head in admiration. "You're amazing, Gerald."
"Yeah, well, you're a great teacher." Gerald complemented. He had suddenly become aware of the position he and Phoebe were in. And, after seeing a blush on Phoebe's face, he guessed that she'd become aware of that fact too.
"Uh..."
"Um..."
They both were at a loss for words at that moment. They stared at each other and came to another realization: Their faces were only about a foot apart.
They continued to stare at each other's faces and, before they knew what they were doing, they started to close the gap. Their lips drew closer, closer...
Suddenly, the door to the fencing room opened. It's Phoebe's mother, Reba. "Phoebe, I brought some iced tea in case you and your friend are—oh!"
She suddenly exclaims, seeing her daughter atop Gerald. Phoebe quickly scrambled off and Gerald quickly sits up.
"Mother! Um, uh, we were...sparring practice...demonstrate...not let guard down..." Phoebe blurted out.
"Mrs. Heyerdahl! Uh, I wasn't, um... that was...oh geez..." Gerald stuttered.
"Oh, okay," Reba said slowly. "I'll just leave the iced tea here."
She sets down the tray and exits the room, leaving two very embarrassed ten-year-olds.
Phoebe and Gerald look down on the floor in embarrassed silence. 'What happened? Were we about to...to...' Phoebe thought. She looked at Gerald, but quickly looked away because at that moment he had also looked up.
'Man, what was I doing?' thought Gerald. 'Was I just about to kiss Phoebe?!'
The silence continued for a while. Finally, as the silence became unbearable, they both decided to speak up.
"Um..." they said together. They looked at each other and said together: "No, you first."
Both of them chuckle nervously at the fact that they had spoken the exact same thing together. Gerald finally decides to talk first. "Uh, Phoebe, um, were we about to, uh, er..."
Phoebe's face turns bright red. "Um, I guess so..."
"Did you, uh, want to?" Gerald slowly asked, seeing Phoebe's face turn even redder he quickly added. "Sorry! I didn't mean that...er...what I meant to say is...oh, man."
Another awkward silence passed. Phoebe then asked tentatively. "Gerald, do you, um, like-like me?"
Gerald quickly looked away in embarrassment. 'Is she asking because she like-likes me too?' Gerald asked himself mentally. 'Or is it because she thought I was trying to make a move on her?'
"Uh..." Gerald began. "Um...eh...er...yeah."
Phoebe looked up. "Really?"
"Yeah..." Gerald said slowly, unsure about Phoebe's reaction.
She smiles shyly. "That's a relief, I thought you didn't feel the same way."
"Huh?" Gerald said, looking up. "You mean you like-like me too?"
"Why do you think I inquired?" she replied, blushing.
He smiled at her. "Wow, all this time we felt the same way."
"Yes."
"Y'know, it's kinda funny. My biggest distraction while you were teaching me was the fact that I couldn't stop staring at you."
Phoebe blushed. "You flatter me."
"I'm not." Gerald replied. "You really are pretty, but that's not the reason I like-like you."
Phoebe looked at him, he continued: "I like-like you because," he paused. "Because you're kind, smart, patient and tolerant. I mean, you do manage to bear being with Helga."
Phoebe blushed even more. Gerald took a deep breath and continued: ""How 'bout you? Why do you like-like me?"
"Well," she answered. "It's because you're witty, funny, and also a very loyal person. You've stuck by Arnold many times and I find your loyalty, well, admirable."
"Gee," Gerald said. "Thanks for telling me."
Phoebe just nods and smiles. She and Gerald looked at each other.
Finally, Phoebe broke the spell. "Well, um, I guess that's all. You should be able to defeat Rex Smythe-Higgins tomorrow."
"Of course," Gerald said, smiling. "You taught me."
Phoebe smiled and blushed slightly. "You're too kind."
"Uh, well, I gotta go home."
"Oh, um, yes, of course."
Gerald takes off the fencing gear and exits the fencing room. Phoebe walks him to the front door.
"Uh, Phoebe." Gerald said as he stepped out of the Heyerdahl's house.
"Yes?"
"Would you, um, like to come and watch my match with Rex tomorrow?"
"Sure. Why not?" Phoebe replied. Gerald smiled and thanked her. As Phoebe watched him walk away she thought: 'I know you'll be the victor, Gerald.'
Author's Note: Okay, I thought that was a little too corny. But what the heck, that's the way I wrote it. Chapter Four is coming up, please review this one.