Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or places of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". The television show and all things related are the express legal property of Joss Whedon, the WB, Mutant Enemy, and a lot of other people who aren't me. Please don't sue.
No, scratch that. She was positively smirking at him. Riley sighed. Usually he could really work at something, apply himself, and eventually master a skill, but there was something about that little movement that eluded him. Buffy smirked some more and. . . *flip*.
Riley nearly growled with frustration before tossing an obligatory glance at Professor Walsh and nodding a little, just to keep her thinking that he was in on the discussion. He didn't have the heart, not to mention the balls, to tell her that when she launched into a particular topic of interest in psychology that he became totally useless in class. It was during one of those lectures that found him sitting silently at the empty table near the far wall that he spotted a few kids doing this. He stared intently at the pen in his hand, willing it to do as he wished. . . *flipclatter*. He nearly swore as the pen fell gracelessly from his fingers to the floor.
Darn!! Now Buffy *and* Willow were laughing at him, and Walsh had that look on her face. The one that said: "You dropped your pen again?!?" Riley sheepishly picked up the writing implement and glanced around furtively to make sure that not too many people had seen that. Most of them were too far gone with boredom to notice. Riley looked at his girlfriend again and nearly cried when he saw the sparkle of silent mirth in them. She was laughing at his incompetence. . . again.
That was it, he firmly and resolutely placed the pen in the far corner of the table in front of him. No more. It was a female advantage, that had to be it! Their fingers were small and lithe and he was certain that no guy could ever do that. Riley crossed his arms, glared meaningfully at Buffy and turned to face the Professor, when a small movement caught his eye. He groaned inwardly.
Forrest, standing just outside the door, chuckling evilly, and flipping a pencil in his fingers. Suddenly, it seemed that everywhere he looked, someone was doing that stupid flippy-pen thing. He'd never escape it! He'd be the only person in attendance at UC-Sunnydale who couldn't flip their pen! He'd-
*BRRRRRRRRRINGGGGGGG*
Riley sighed with disgust as he began collecting his papers and books and noticed Buffy sauntering over to him with Willow just behind her, biting back a fit of giggles. The two girls stopped just to the side of him and he glared at them again, sideways. Buffy opened her mouth to say something, but Riley stopped it dead.
"Don't! Don't even say it!" he snapped.
"Awwwwww. . ." Buffy wrapped her arms around his waist as he busied himself with re-packing his backpack. Only one more thing on the desk now, that shiny, black, mocking little pen. "Really, Riley, I don't get what makes you so ticked about it. You're just not holding it right, it's easy, look!" Buffy picked up the offending pen and flipped it around in her hand rapidly a couple times.
"Buffy, don't tease him!" Willow exclaimed, nonetheless enjoying a good giggle or two. Riley snatched the pen from her hand and stared her down. She stared back, her eyes doing that twinkling thing again. He sighed with resignation and stepped closer to her, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. She was even cute when she was gloating.
"Hmmm, that's more like my Riley," Buffy grinned. "C'mon, lets get some chow."
"Good idea," Riley smiled back at the girls to his right and tossed the stupid pen over his shoulder. He'd get it one of these days.
Or he'd die trying.
*****
Okay, this was kind of random, but if you've ever tried to learn how to flip your pen over your thumb, you KNOW how annoying it is that everyone else can do it perfectly.