Social Niceties
Title: Social Niceties
Characters: Peter Petrelli, a couple original characters
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Word count: 525
Setting: Preseason. Peter is 19 and a freshman in college.
Summary: Peter shows a friend of his how you meet girls.
Notes: Inspired by an exchange with means2bhuman.
“It’s not that hard,” Peter insisted to his friend. “You just walk over and say ‘Hi, my name’s Brad Lucia. What’s yours?’ and that’s it.” If you wanted to be casual, that is, which was appropriate for a couple of freshmen in college.
Peter dimly recalled the scores of times he’d introduced himself at a couple of his parent’s parties when he was five or six, with his mother, father or Nathan leading him around to every guest. His escort would give a brief explanation and then he’d read off his first script: ‘Hello, my name is Peter Petrelli. How do you do?’; followed closely by his second script of introducing his escort: ‘Mrs. ____, may I present Nathan Petrelli,’ or whoever, along with the usual little niceties of what else to say, where to stand, whether to shake hands and with who, etc. By the time he was seven, he was trusted with answering the door and greeting guests on behalf of the family, which was important because Nathan had left for the academy.
He gave Brad a prod with his elbow. “You’re never going to get anywhere with a girl if you don’t talk to her.”
“What if she doesn’t want to talk to me? She’s hardly even looked at me!”
Peter rolled his eyes. “So? Then you come back over here and we’ll both make faces at her or something,” he joked, hoping to loosen up his friend.
“I can’t, man. I just can’t.”
“Fine.” Peter started to take off, but Brad grabbed him.
“What are you doing?” Brad hissed in alarm, because Peter wasn’t leaving - he was heading towards the girl.
Peter shoved him off with a laugh. “I’m gonna show you.” Paling, Brad retreated as far as he could. Peter walked over to the mysterious female and said, “Hey.” He waited a beat for her to look up at him, which she did. Perfectly relaxed talking to people, Peter said, “Hi. My name’s Peter Petrelli. What’s yours?”
“Ah,” she said, smiling nervously, no more comfortable being put on the spot than Brad. But it was a direct question and tough to dodge. “Uh … Jessica.”
“Jessica, huh? That’s a great name.” Peter kept smiling confidently, which was easy when he’d done this a lot before and he knew he wasn’t the one who was going to be on the spot here. “You see my friend over there? Tallish guy, big shoulders?” She looked past him at Brad and grinned. Peter glanced back. Brad had buried his face in his hands in utter embarrassment. Peter laughed. Brad looked pretty harmless and endearing that way. “Yeah, that’s him. He thinks you’re gorgeous. I think he’s right, but he saw you first. Would you do me a favor and let me introduce you to him?”
“Um … yeah. Yeah, I guess so.” Jessica giggled a little.
Peter led her over and mock bowed between them. “Ms. Jessica, may I present to you Mr. Brad Lucia.”
Jessica, who knew something of the script, offered her hand. Brad stared at it for a second and looked up at Peter, who gave him a ‘come on, man, take her hand!’ look. Brad took it, less clumsily than he could have, and gave it a kiss. Peter excused himself as soon as the two genuinely began talking with each other. By the next weekend, they were dating.
Characters: Peter Petrelli, a couple original characters
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Word count: 525
Setting: Preseason. Peter is 19 and a freshman in college.
Summary: Peter shows a friend of his how you meet girls.
Notes: Inspired by an exchange with means2bhuman.
“It’s not that hard,” Peter insisted to his friend. “You just walk over and say ‘Hi, my name’s Brad Lucia. What’s yours?’ and that’s it.” If you wanted to be casual, that is, which was appropriate for a couple of freshmen in college.
Peter dimly recalled the scores of times he’d introduced himself at a couple of his parent’s parties when he was five or six, with his mother, father or Nathan leading him around to every guest. His escort would give a brief explanation and then he’d read off his first script: ‘Hello, my name is Peter Petrelli. How do you do?’; followed closely by his second script of introducing his escort: ‘Mrs. ____, may I present Nathan Petrelli,’ or whoever, along with the usual little niceties of what else to say, where to stand, whether to shake hands and with who, etc. By the time he was seven, he was trusted with answering the door and greeting guests on behalf of the family, which was important because Nathan had left for the academy.
He gave Brad a prod with his elbow. “You’re never going to get anywhere with a girl if you don’t talk to her.”
“What if she doesn’t want to talk to me? She’s hardly even looked at me!”
Peter rolled his eyes. “So? Then you come back over here and we’ll both make faces at her or something,” he joked, hoping to loosen up his friend.
“I can’t, man. I just can’t.”
“Fine.” Peter started to take off, but Brad grabbed him.
“What are you doing?” Brad hissed in alarm, because Peter wasn’t leaving - he was heading towards the girl.
Peter shoved him off with a laugh. “I’m gonna show you.” Paling, Brad retreated as far as he could. Peter walked over to the mysterious female and said, “Hey.” He waited a beat for her to look up at him, which she did. Perfectly relaxed talking to people, Peter said, “Hi. My name’s Peter Petrelli. What’s yours?”
“Ah,” she said, smiling nervously, no more comfortable being put on the spot than Brad. But it was a direct question and tough to dodge. “Uh … Jessica.”
“Jessica, huh? That’s a great name.” Peter kept smiling confidently, which was easy when he’d done this a lot before and he knew he wasn’t the one who was going to be on the spot here. “You see my friend over there? Tallish guy, big shoulders?” She looked past him at Brad and grinned. Peter glanced back. Brad had buried his face in his hands in utter embarrassment. Peter laughed. Brad looked pretty harmless and endearing that way. “Yeah, that’s him. He thinks you’re gorgeous. I think he’s right, but he saw you first. Would you do me a favor and let me introduce you to him?”
“Um … yeah. Yeah, I guess so.” Jessica giggled a little.
Peter led her over and mock bowed between them. “Ms. Jessica, may I present to you Mr. Brad Lucia.”
Jessica, who knew something of the script, offered her hand. Brad stared at it for a second and looked up at Peter, who gave him a ‘come on, man, take her hand!’ look. Brad took it, less clumsily than he could have, and gave it a kiss. Peter excused himself as soon as the two genuinely began talking with each other. By the next weekend, they were dating.