Coach Cooper

April 06, 2005 9:48 PM
The coach went out to check the pitch, as was her custom before any lesson. Today she found the air was a little warmer than usual, and the grass was dryer, crunching slightly under her feet. It was no big deal though, Sonora was in Arizona, and they were bound to get their hot spells. The dry ground would make for a good kick-off. Even though it was a little hot outside, she figured things would go well.

She went over her mental checklist. Brooms on the ground and ready? Check. Own broom in hand? Check. Flying goggles? Check. Hair pulled out of face? She frowned; she always forgot to put her hair into a ponytail. It wasn't that the brunette was fashion-conscious, far from it. But her hair did tend to get in the way when she flew, so tying it up with a rubber band; she hopped on her broom and flew up several feet in the sky.

“Ten minutes before class starts, perfect,” she muttered, checking her watch. It gave her just enough time to fly around the pitch for a while. She loved the feeling of the wind blowing through her hair. Slowing down, accelerating, increasing altitude, then diving down just a foot off the ground, she loved everything about flying.

After a while she picked up more speed, and started to do a high-speed zigzagging movement. This was a maneuver perfected by the Australian Woollongong Warriors, used to throw off opposing chasers. As she continued around the pitch, she noticed some students start to enter the pitch. She smiled, continuing on as if she didn’t noticed them. She wondered if anyone could name the move she was doing.\n\n
Subthreads:
0 Coach Cooper Name that maneuver... 0 Coach Cooper 1 5


Earl Valentine

April 07, 2005 7:29 PM
The sun blared into Earl's deep brown eyes and the pale green grass cruched dryly underneath his high-top converse. The Quidditch pitch looked exactly as he had imagined...well not exactly, but there was grass and bleachers and hoops, so it was close.

Earl shielded his eyes from the harsh rays and walked over to where his fellow first years were standing by brooms and staring up into the cloudless blue sky. He glanced up too and saw a witch flying in crazy zig zags and wondered if she were okay. He shrugged. There wasn't much he could do if she wasn't, he shouldn't worry.

He wandered to the broom closet to him and sighed. It was dull and the twigs were sticking out oddly. He had hoped for something better, but as long as it could he wouldn't complain.

HE sighed again as he stared at the witch. "When are we gonna start flying?" he asked loud enough for most of the people there to hear them.\n\n
0 Earl Valentine I'm not nervous...I'm excited! 67 Earl Valentine 0 5


Asher Tallow

April 07, 2005 10:14 PM
Her brothers had done it, but yet, her brothers did most anything that risked bodily harm to themselves. They had grown a Tangle Tree two summers ago and took turns dodging its tinuous arms. Asher learned most things through hands on contact, and she certainly learned that particular lesson: if you wanted to break bones, there was no better way than to launch yourself off the ground with only an inch thick twig to fight against all of gravity's perverse force.

Asher Tallow would pass on that particular experience, and no disrespect to the Quidditch instructor, but there would be no getting her off the ground.

Still though, she was obligated to at least attend, and when someone was finally dashed down to their death, she could always sit back and point out the facts of life. She strolled on into the pitch, her feet scuffing tread marks into the closely cropped grass. She folded her arms and waited for the woman flying overhead to fall off her broom as only nature could intend given the dizzyingly sharp turns the instructor was making.

At least, Asher was pretty sure the woman was the instructor. There was always the chance otherwise especially given the odd nature of most adults. A voice cut into her thoughts, and she turned in recognition.

"When are we gonna start flying?"

It was that boy from the Feast- the boy from her house. "Hopefully never." She grinned suddenly and pointed up to the still spinning instructor. "I don't know about you, Earl Valentine, but I'd prefer to spend my first term at school without breaking my neck."\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
0 Asher Tallow Fly? And kill myself? No thank you! 1466 Asher Tallow 0 5


Earl

April 07, 2005 11:52 PM
"Oh great," thought Earl. It's Asher again. Just try to act nice...just try." He convinced himself to look at the girl he had found so annoying at their first meeting in at the Feast. "Hey, Asher. You really don't wanna fly? What's the fun in keeping your feet on the ground? There's no risk. I'd rather try my skills in new territory. You know, see how long it takes to break something."

He smiled widely, picked up the broomstick near his feet and held it up to Asher's face. "Sure you don't wanna try?" Earl let out a small laugh and straddled the broom, pretending to fly. Suddenly, the broom started to rise. Earl let out a yell as he rose two feet into the hot air. Quickly getting hold of himself, he grinned michieviously and leaned forward. Somehow he knew what to do. The broom rocketed towards Asher at a fast pace, stopping short a few inches from her. Earl laughed loudly.

"You don't think that's fun?"\n\n
0 Earl Scared are you? 0 Earl 0 5


Asher

April 08, 2005 12:49 AM
Asher stared, her eyes nearly crossed at the broom handle pointing like a spear at her navel. It hovered there, suspended by no string or levering device. It simply floated, the body of Earl Valentine sitting upon it, and she couldn't help but marvel. This...this was magic. Quidditch wasn't new to her; she had seen flying brooms all her life. She had bandaged up her brothers everytime they managed to crash and splinter their beloved brooms into the a tree or got tangled up in the tire swing.

But this, this was something else all together. And she couldn't understand why this felt so different.

"Sure you don't wanna try?"

No...she didn't want to try. She didn't want to get up on that flimsy broomstick, make a fool out of herself and end up slamming into the ground or falling off. She really, really didn't want to try.

"You don't think that's fun?"

No...she didn't think it was fun. But. But, just maybe, she was missing out on something. Maybe there was something to this whole flying thing that it took trying to understand it. Maybe...

"Sure you don't wanna try?"

Steeling herself, Asher backed up a space, blindly grabbed a nearby broom, and tried to ignore how very frgaile it felt in her small hand. Gazing back at the still grinning Earl sitting so easily on his broom, she squared her shoulders.

"Okay, Earl Valentine, teach me. How do I do this?"\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
0 Asher A coward? Me? Well...maybe 1466 Asher 0 5


Earl

April 08, 2005 6:39 PM
"Okay, Earl Valentine, teach me. How do I do this?"

It really wasn't what he had expected to hear. He was waiting for the scream, the terror, the running away like most girls would do...but this? And she wanted him to teach her! The only reason he knows what he's doing is because he used to spend time at his cousin's house. Even though his mother was a Squib, all her siblings had ended up with the full blast of magic talent. His cousins only let him fly so he could get the quaffle if it soared out of bounds. Earl wasn't really any good, but he could try.

He gazed at Asher, pale faced and determined, the broom clutched tightly in her hands. He scratched his head as he thought. "Well, I guess the first thing you do it get on," he stated slowly. "Then you gotta push up with your legs a little." Earl had the broom lower so he could get off. He remounted and showed her how to push.

"Ok...I guess you should try, now." \n\n
0 Earl Not as chicken as I had thought... 0 Earl 0 5


Asher

April 08, 2005 8:52 PM
Asher watched and soon began to see the error of her sudden courage. He didn't have a clue! He was as lost as she was! How dare he make it look natural and easy, and trick her into agreeing! But she was determined; she had said she would do it, and now she was committed. Stupid, stupid Tallow pride. Gosh darn her family and its stupid Gaul roots. Why couldn't she have ancestors that acted like the Swiss? They never got involved in anything and made truck loads of money.

The only thing she would get from this would probably be a cracked skull.

"Well, I guess the first thing you do is get on."

Gingerly, making sure never to let the flimsy stick out of her grip, she lifted one leg over the handle and waited for the next instruction stiffly.

"Then you gotta push up with your legs a little."

Asher watched as Earl demonstrated what he meant by 'push up with your legs.' She thought it looked a bit ridiculous. Pushing up your legs? Her legs? Push up to what? Like just jump? Into the sky? With this dinky bit of wood? She balked for a second and then thought of her brothers and the ease in which they flew. It'd be something else to return during winter holiday with the ace of now flying up her sleeve.

And then Earl gave his last instruction. "Ok...I guess you should try now."

Try she did. She took a deep breath, shut her eyes firmly, and, with the feeble broomstick grasped like life itself, pushed. It took her three seconds to realize that for the first time in her life when she had gone up, she had not gone back down. She carefully opened one brown eye and blinked in amazement. There, a good four feet beneath her, was the pale green grass of the pitch. Her feet were not touching. Her feet weren't even close.

Asher Tallow was flying. And gods, but it was terrifying.

And oh so sweet.

She simply stared for a few more seconds and basked in the strange mix of exhileration and tickling fear. But all things must move forward and shortly, she would want to do the same.

"What's next, Earl Valentine? How do I move forward?"

\n\n
0 Asher I prefer starlings myself... 1466 Asher 0 5


Earl

April 09, 2005 11:45 AM
"What's next, Earl Valentine? How do I move forward?"

Once again Asher had surprised him. The horrible instructions he gave actually worked! She was now floating serenely beside him. Still pale faced, still gripping her broom so hard Earl was afraid dents would be left in the wood, but with an excitement that wasn't really there before.

"Maybe I'm not as bad a teacher as I thought," he whispered to himself. He put his attention back on Asher. "Move forward? Well, that's easy." Earl sounded a lot more confident than he felt. "You just lean forward a little bit. The more you lean forward, the faster you go. Like this..."

Earl leaned on his broom a little and stared moving towards Asher. He turned the broom a bit and leaned over his broom more. He rushed past her and ended up halfway across the field before he remember to stop. He waved wildly and sped back to his pupil.

"Sorry I forgot to stop for a second. To do that you just gotta lean back. It's pretty easy." He grinned widely. "Okay, your turn."\n\n
0 Earl Fly like an eagle 0 Earl 0 5


Asher

April 09, 2005 8:58 PM
Asher listened intently and tried to ignore the delicate feeling that came with being off the ground and not racing down to hit it. She tried to ignore the thinness of the broom handle, and she tried to ignore the nagging feeling that Earl Valentine might be as new to all this as she was. Such thoughts didn't inspire confidence, after all.

She watched as Earl demonstrated how to move forward, and then zipped up across the field. Her stomach made a literal flop and for a second she was sure he would fall off. Going so quickly, he had to fall. She was sure of it. Instead, he rounded back around and grinned.

"Sorry I forgot to stop for a second. To do that you just gotta lean back. It's pretty easy."

Just forgot? Pretty easy? These were not reassuring words in the least. Then her ears picked up the instructor's words. Asher ignored Earl for a moment and listened for Coach Cooper's lesson. She listened and quickly gathered that the Coach was not any more help than Earl was when it came to overcoming the nervous knot in her stomach.

"Good luck, and have fun."

Good luck? She wanted to scream; that was not helpful in the least! How was luck supposed to save her from crashing into the ground? How was luck supposed to prevent her from suddenly veering off and slamming into some one else? Asher did not like it when people said words like 'good luck' and her life was on the line.

"Okay, your turn."

Her attention snapped back to the present. Earl Valentine was watching her, his grin still in place, and obviously waiting for her to follow his example. Gritting her teeth, she did as asked.

"Right. My turn. Okay then, here goes no-" her words were cut off by the sudden movement of her broom as she leaned ever so slightly forward. The movement so startled her that she nearly fell forward and off her broom. Before Asher had a chance to thank the gods for that small favor, the broom reacted to her near fall. With a jet fast burst of speed, the broom shot out into the middle of the pitch.
With the wind whipping her braid across her face and terror preventing all speech, she only just managed to pull up on the broom and avoid careening into Coach Cooper.

The upward pull made her broom take a sudden vertical climb that had her pressed tightly against the handle in hopes to somehow straighten it. She tried to think of how Earl had worded it. "...The more you lean forward, the faster you go."

Okay then. All she needed to do was lean back a bit and the broom would slow down. With her eyes tightly shut, she began to slowly sit back up straight. From behind the darkness of her shut eyelids, she felt the broom respond by gently leveling out. She cracked open one eye and saw to her great relief that she had somehow managed to turn the broom back in the direction of her waiting housemate.

Her stomach erupted with a swell of different emotions once she finally brought the broom to a stop. Fear at having nearly attacked her instructor, terror at having surely tested all bounds of gravity and having survived, and lastly, most surprisingly, exhileration.

"Earl Valentine..." she began slowly, almost wonderingly, "that was fun. It was actually fun."
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
0 Asher Or a sparrow in the rain 1466 Asher 0 5


Earl

April 10, 2005 1:42 AM
Earl's heart jumped to his throat as he watched Asher careen through the students, almost hit the coach, fly straight up and somehow manage to end up exactly where she had started. He gave a huge sigh of relief. It would have looked bad if he had tried to teach a fellow student something and ended up sending her to the hospital wing.

"Earl Valentine..." Earl's heartbeat quickened. He was in for it now. Asher would freak out, convince the coach he had tried to kill her under the context of flying lessons and he'll be back home faster than you could say Quidditch But, once again, Asher Tallow had surprised him with what she had to say. "...that was fun. It was actually fun."

Earl waited for a second to make sure she was serious. Apparently she was. The grin that had left Earl's face when he had first seen her jet throug the air, returned with full force. "There, you see? Flying is great! And you were afraid you'd fall off..."
\n\n
0 Earl more like a baby sparrow 0 Earl 0 5


Asher Tallow

April 10, 2005 3:00 PM
Asher grinned back in return. She had thought Earl Valentine hadn't much liked her at first, although she wasn't sure why. When she had heard that Christobel guy making fun of his name, she couldn't help but respond. It was the natural order for her. She liked to help people, and as the only weapon in her disposal was her words, well then, be prepared for the verbal onslaught.

She hoped Earl Valentine had changed his mind. 'Course she had Laura and Gwen from her house, and Juliet from Teppenpaw, but if she wanted to make a strong front against the Hens as she now called them, she would need boys from Crotalus as well.

"There, you see? Flying is great! And you were afraid you'd fall off..."

She managed a laugh despite being all too aware of her still precarious pose on the broomstick. "I'm still terrified, you dope. But you were right, Earl Valentine, I was missing out. Just wish my brothers were here so I could rub it into their faces."

Asher wondered how Mikes would react. He'd probably just try to knock her off and then laugh at her. The jerk...

"I've got a truck load of brothers," she explained. "And they all play Quidditch by the numbers. I was too afraid to join in, what with how they were always tumbling off and landing in thorn bushes or the Tangle tree..." she trailed off and fought off a flush.

Gingerly, she leaned forward and the broom moved a microscopic inch northward. Feeling triumphant, she asked, "You have any brothers or sisters, Earl Valentine?"\n\n
0 Asher Tallow You know in some countries, sparrow is a delicacy 1466 Asher Tallow 0 5


Earl Valentine

April 10, 2005 5:09 PM
After the little insite into Asher's homelife, Earl could only think of one thing: What the heck is a Tangle Tree? But her question brought him back to more relevent matters.

"I got three brothers and a sister. My older brother is huge jerk and kinda hates magic. My younger brothers are twins. They're both five and completely crazy. My sis is nine and she's gonna be coming here in two years, so you might get to meet. We're really close for some strange reason."

Earl felt as though he had talked enough about his family and zoomed around in lazy circles to have something to do. "So...how much is a truck load or brothers, exactly?"\n\n
0 Earl Valentine I think I prefer chicken... 67 Earl Valentine 0 5


Asher

April 10, 2005 6:32 PM
Another person with a ton of sibs- Asher couldn't help but grin. And Earl had twins in his family, too! Well, technically her Mikes and Sams weren't twins, but the three of them made a nice set of Irish triplets, exactly nine and a half months between the three of them.

"I've got four brothers, two older and two younger. But I generally throw my dad on in that group. He's practically an older brother as it is, what with how he's always acting. He's the one who first suggested planting that Tangle Tree. The big dope," she added affectionately.

Not paying much attention, Asher leaned back on her broom and barely noticed as it reacted to her movement. She was getting used to this whole suspended in the air with a twig for support thing.

"But that's great then. When my Sams comes along, he'll be in the same year as your sister." A thought occurred to her and her brow scrunched up as she considered whether tact was needed to ask her question. She shrugged and brushed the idea off. Who really cared anyway? "I'm curious. Are you the only boy Crotalus this year?"\n\n
0 Asher Sparrow sounds kinda crunchy anyway 1466 Asher 0 5


Earl Valentine

April 10, 2005 6:48 PM
"I'm curious. Are you the only boy Crotalus this year?"

The question had taken Earl by surprise. Was he the only first year boy in Crotalus? He thought for a moment. He was. "Wow...I guess I am. I never realized that until now." He tried to hide his horror by adding. "No wonder I have a room to myself. I just thought they had run out of room for me and stuck me somewhere random. At least I'm bunking with the girls. I mean you're ok, but most girls..."

Earl blushed at the thought of ten or so girls surrounding him and tried to quickly change the subject. "So your brother is the same age as my sister, huh? Well, I'll tell her, so she won't be so scared to come here." His smile was forced. To keep himself from getting any redder, he took a couple laps around the field before returning to Asher and letting her answer.


\n\n
0 Earl Valentine The only goose in a flock of ganders 67 Earl Valentine 0 5


Asher Tallow

April 10, 2005 7:24 PM
Poor Earl Valentine! Asher couldn't help but feel sorry for him. She thought it was bad enough being stuck with so many girls and she was a girl. She couldn't imagine not having any other boys around at all. All she had ever known were her brothers and that one Filmahn girl that worked at the llama farm. Of course, there had been Asher's mom as well, but-

Oh well, didn't much matter. Not now anyway.

Asher watched as Earl blushed up a storm and took off around the pitch. Poor guy; he was probably terrified. She would have to reassure him that not all the Crotalus girls were as horrible as the Hens. She waited until he brought himself back to the ground before launching into her comfort speech.

"From the girls I've met, they're not all too bad. Laura Keaton- have you met her yet?- likes baseball and stuff, so she's alright. And then there's Gwen." Asher pointed to the stylishly dressed girl looking rather surprised to have survived her broom launch. "She may look like the Hens, but she's okay. Not at all what you might expect."

Asher beamed. "And then there's me. So don't worry, Earl Valentine, you won't get too hen-pecked this term, I promise."\n\n
0 Asher Tallow They are a buncha Hens, aren't they? 1466 Asher Tallow 0 5


Earl

April 10, 2005 9:33 PM
Earl stared at the girl Asher had pointed to. Fancy hair, overdone make-up, and way too much jewrely for an eleven year old. It made him shudder. Just the thought of Eaven dressed like that sent chills up his spine.

But he could be wrong about her. He thought Asher was a stuck up know-it-all the first time they had met, and now she's his friend. All girls couldn't be horrible.

"Yeah...I guess you're right. I mean, you're not horrible at all. You're kinda like...my friend. I've never had many friends that were girls. This is a little weird."

Earl had a oddly confused look on his face as he stared at Asher. It was weird. He really had never had a real friend that was a girl. This would be an interesting year indeed.\n\n
0 Earl Hen pecked is right! 0 Earl 0 5


Asher

April 10, 2005 10:03 PM
Weird was right, but probably not for the same reasons Earl was thinking of. Asher was thinking of sitting on a broomstick for the first time in her life despite having witnessed her brothers float along for years. She was thinking of having made her first female friends ever. And she was thinking that she really liked Earl's last name. It sounded funny on her tongue, a slight buzz as she said the last syllable that tickled and made her want to say it again.

Hopefully, he wouldn't mind too much if she kept saying it all the time.

"It is kinda weird, isn't it? I mean, I only ever had my brothers. Ever. So I'm not too used to all these girls, but I'm a girl, too, so it shouldn't be too bad. Right?"

She shrugged and practised using her toes to make the broom move forward and then back in quick succession. Ha! That was fun, too!

"And of course I'm your friend. I wouldn't have butted in at the Feast except I thought that Christobel guy was making fun of your name. You are my house mate after all, and we're supposed to stick together. Right?"\n\n
0 Asher Take a hatchet and clean out the roost 1466 Asher 0 5


Earl

April 10, 2005 11:34 PM
Earl listened to Asher talk and float back and forth on her scraggly, old broom. It was kinda mesmerizing. The hot air, Asher's quick back and forth movements, her voice...Earl fell into a momentary stupor and slipped off his broom. Luckily, he was only a few feet off the ground, but it hurt nonetheless.

He hastily brushed off his robes and climbed back onto his broom, floating there as if nothing had happened. However, a blush crept onto his cheeks that he couldn't will away. He tried to ignore by continuing the conversation.

"Uh...yeah, right!" He stated a little too loud. A couple of people nearby looked over curiously, but turned away again when they realized there was nothing of interest to stare at.

"It's ok that you butted in. Really. I'm over that. I'm mean, like you said...we're house mates and we gotta stick together." He thought for a minute before adding, "I kinda know how my sister feels now...the only girl in a house full of boys. Like you."

\n\n
0 Earl Ok...now you lost me 0 Earl 0 5


Asher

April 11, 2005 6:32 AM
There was a slight pause and then down Earl went, and instantly, Asher stopped moving herself, but thankfully not from a fall. He didn't seem too bothered by it though, just brushed himself off and saddled back on in. He looked flushed, but Asher was feeling a bit warm herself what with being outdoors and all.

Although, for Arizona and the desert, the pitch was much cooler than she would have ever thought possible.

"I bet your sister will get along with my Sams. Sams is big on making things- he's real good with clay."

She reached into her jeans pocket and withdrew a small paw shaped stone that whose glossy surface glanced off sunlight in quick little rays. She held it up for Earl to see and pointed to the tiny inscription in the middle.

"So you're never without us. Love Sams," it read, and she gazed at it fondly.

"It's a paw print, each of the toes being one of us. He made it as a going away gift for me. I'm really going to miss them this year."

She frowned uncharacteristically and stared down at the small lump in her hand, willing herself most fervently to not cry in the middle of the quidditch pitch and most especially in front of Earl Valentine. It just wouldn't do. Blinking furiously, she pushed the paw print into Earl's hands, hardly noticing that the broom moved at her touch, and stabbed a finger at the middle paw toe.

"See, Earl Valentine, the middle one's me. Sams made it red. Pretty neat, huh?"\n\n
0 Asher A roost holds hens, a hatchet removes hens *wink, wink* 1466 Asher 0 5


Earl Valentine

April 11, 2005 6:35 PM
The little clay paw gleamed in the morning sunshine. Earl held it to his face and looked carefully at it. It was really good...for a paw, anyways. It apparently had real sentimental value for Asher. It made him remember that his sister was a thousand miles away, in a dingy little house in the middle of Los Angeles. He really missed her. He should write.

He heaved a deep sigh and carefully handed it back to Asher. "It's great. My sis, Eavan, is an artist too. Only she writes. She also likes making these weird bracelets out of string. She's really good at both, but I doubt she could make anything with clay except like a rock or something." He smiled sadly and subconsciously leaned forward on the broom a little, making it move a few iches towards Asher. \n\n
0 Earl Valentine Ok...now I get it! 67 Earl Valentine 0 5


Asher Tallow

April 11, 2005 9:23 PM
Asher shaded her eyes as a sudden burst of sunlight sent a glare over her vision. When it finally cleared, she could make out a new addition to the student piled around the pitch. Dirty blond hair in pony-tail? Check. T-shirt? Check. Really good with broom? Check.

Yep. It was Laura alright.

Leaning back toward Earl, she pointed to her friend. "See that girl there? The one with the pony tail? Yeah, she's in Crotalus, too, and she's not at all like the Hens."

Cupping her hands over her mouth, she called out loudly, "Hey Laura! Over here!"

In her enthusiasm though, Asher forget that her hands were keeping her steady on the broom and as soon as the words left her mouth, gravity reminded her of its presence. Her upper body careened heavily to the left, and blindly she reached out for a hand hold. With her legs clamped around the broomstick and her hands holding onto Earl's broom handle for dear life, she hoped quite sincerely that they weren't nearly as high up as it seemed from her position.

"Earl Valentine, a little help please!" she gasped and closed her eyes tightly.\n\n
0 Asher Tallow Hey Laura! *waves* Down here! 1466 Asher Tallow 0 5


Earl Valentine

April 11, 2005 11:04 PM
Earl craned his neck to see who Asher was waving to. A blonde girl with a ponytail was at the other end of the pitch. Asher called her over to his chagrin. No matter what Asher said, there could not be very many nice girls at Sonora. Asher was just a chance happening. Fate had decided to make just a few decent girls and Asher happened to be one of them.

He was still watching the blonde girl-- apparently named Laura-- when he felt his broomstick lurch forward and heard his named being yelled out. "Earl Valentine, a little help please!"

Asher had lost her balance and was now dangling half on her broom half on his in an attempt to keep her self from falling the whole five feet to warm grass below. Earl couldn't help but laugh. "It's only a few feet! Don't be such a scaredy cat."

He almost regretted his words when he looked back at Asher's pale, frightened face and her desperate attempts to regain balance. He sighed and grabbed hold of Asher's arms trying to pull her into a sitting position. "Just hold still for a minute, won't you?" Suddenly Earl felt himself slipping ever so gradually off his broom. He tried to straighten up, but screamed instead as he once again fell to the ground. \n\n
0 Earl Valentine happy to help 67 Earl Valentine 0 5


Asher

April 12, 2005 3:08 AM
Asher could feel it. She sensed it the minute Earl Valentine started laughing. She was going to fall. He didn't reassure her one bit when he mentioned that the ground was only a few feet below. It was ground! It would hurt!

She refused to open her eyes however, and even when Earl started pulling on her arms, she kept them tight shut. She felt his hands close over her arms. She felt as he started to lift her to a better position. And she felt it the second he started slipping. Instantly, her eyes flew open and she grabbed onto his wrists tightly.

There was a sudden wrench as his weight pulled down on hers, but her broom proved stubborn and held its height perfectly despite the sudden addition of another eleven year old's pounds to its responsibility. Asher stared down at Earl's face, down to wear his feet rested midair only a few inches from the ground.

"Wow. I mean, wow," she breathed, face flushed from hanging upside down. Her braid flew over from her shoulder and dangled annoyingly over her mouth. With a restless puff, she tried blowing it out of the way and gingerly shifted her hands over Earl's wrists.

"Uh, Earl Valentine, do you mind if I let you go now?"\n\n
0 Asher Help! Please? 1466 Asher 0 5


Earl

April 12, 2005 5:37 PM
Earl felt himself fall. Gods was this going to hurt. Falling twice in one class is going to leave a fwe bruises. But he didn't fall...well he didn't hit the ground anyways. He opened his eyes to find himself staring into Asher's eyes. She was upside down holding him by the wrists as she dangled from her broom.

Ear tore his eyes away from Asher and looked down. He was only a few inches from the crunchy green grass of the Quidditch pitch.

"Uh, Earl Valentine, do you mind if I let you go now?"

He looked up again. Asher's face was no longer white, but pink with exerted energy and the blood that was rushing there from being upside down. "Yeah...let go!" he yelled.\n\n
0 Earl I":m te one who needs help now! 0 Earl 0 5


Asher

April 12, 2005 6:01 PM
Asher did exactly as Earl asked and let go. Now he was fine, but her problem was still ongoing. Now she hanging upside down from her broom, certain to land on her head if she let go. And no way was she limber enough to flop herself right side up. She eyed Earl and wondered if he'd be willing to cushion her fall. She blew at her braid again. Probably not.

She tried swinging herself, but the first bit of movement only served to make her slide down her broom's handle. Bad decision, then. No more movement. Well, her hands were free, maybe she could just pull herself right. But doing that meant swinging again, and she was near enough to the broom's end as it was.

Asher was in a fix. Puffing furiously at her braid, she stared down at the now safe Earl and figured that her face must be beet red after hanging upside down so long. It was then that the worst thing possible happened. The absolute worse. Even worse than having to hear that annoying Briar jerk talk again.

"Earl Valentine," she said, her voice unbelievably calm, "I think I'm going to fall now."

And she slipped. Right off.\n\n
0 Asher Uh, Coach, HELP! I don't wanna break my head! 1466 Asher 0 5