Useless (A Hank Zipzer FanFiction)

Fencing. Swordfighting minus the blood

Nick (and Amber's) dad picked them both up from school a few minutes later. The car ride was anything but quiet. When Nick and Amber weren't gossiping about Amber's old care home or attempting to figure out what all of the buttons on the displays did (Nick wouldn't have dared to do that) Mr McKelty was never short of topics for conversation and they included talking about Amber's Valentino backpack to talking about why Amber preferred Greek over English. Amber had thankfully told Frankie that she had to do some research with McKelty so there weren't too many questions asked when she said she had to stay a few hours longer. Amber had found a bunch of books in Ancient Greek about the Second World War (heaven knows how they exist and Hades knows how they got there) and was now sitting in Nick's room looking up the less known (yet still extremely important) codes that both sides had to break throughout the war. Amber and Nick spent a few hours cooped up inside his room, looking at everything that they could do over the next week. They had a fairly normal time, the topic of the car crash rarely ever making its way into their conversations, and when it did, it didn't last very long. They had a fun time until dinner. That's when the real shock came. "Thankfully, the school nurse has been very discreet about Amber's fainting. It's a good thing for us."
"Thanks for that somewhat unneeded piece of trivia dad, but why is it a good thing for us?" Nick asked, not understanding why it was a good thing. It's not like we aren't telling anyone.
"Nick, Amber. You can't tell anyone your related."
"What!" Amber replied "If I'm going to find out that my family is alive I should be able to tell people!"
"You're right kid, but given the current situation, we can't."
"Given the current situation! Really! You find out that your daughter is alive and the first thing you tell is her is that nobody can know that your related! Way to go! Hera would be proud!" Amber was livid. She couldn't stand him telling her that nobody could know. She wouldn't spend another second in this house if she could help it.

She ran upstairs and put the books she was reading into her bag after leaving a note that said what books she took and her phone number. She rushed out the door before anyone could stop her and Frankie's mum was over in no time with Frankie in the backseat. "I just found out why everyone hates Nick's dad."
"Not the greatest thing is it?" Frankie asked, his voice without a hint of sarcasm.
"Ugh. He thought me and Nick were going to get together and UGH."

When Amber got to school the next day, she had read all of the books she had taken and thought it important to give them back. "Nick." She said, tapping him on his shoulder. I need to speak to you. In private." The girl that Nick was sitting with angrily got up and left. Amber took this as a hint to sit down. "Here are the books, I've read them all and taken some notes. We're going to my house tonight." Nick gave her a questioning look, "The one in Scotland?" He asked cluelessly.
"No you nitwit, the one in London, I live with Frankie Townsend."
"Okay, I know where that is."
"Oh do you, I know what you mean." Amber replied teasingly.
"Oh shut up, sis."
"And you calm down bro. Love ya" Amber said, throwing her arms around Nick for an instant, just to tell each other that even if they couldn't tell anyone, they were still related.
"Love you too little sis."
"I'm never gonna live this down."
"Nope."
"It wasn't a question." Amber replied, even though she hoped that her answer was wrong.

She pulled away from the hug and was just getting up when Nick put something in her hand. A charm. "I hope you like it fire girl." It was an infinity sign, meant to symbolize that even if nobody else knew, they would always be together, someway or another. She left Nick and went to look for Frankie, "Hey Frankie, McKelty has to come over to ours today, we're working on the project."
"What noooo! Please not him he is super annoying."
"It wasn't a question, plus we'll just be reading and getting really bored most of the time. So yeah..."
"Okay. But please don't eat the cinnamon rolls, they're mine." Frankie had this really weird obsession over cinnamon rolls and Amber had been on the receiving end of one of his tellings off and they weren't very pretty.
"Keep your cinnamon rolls, but somebody touches my Nutella and none of you live to see the light of day." Amber said darkly. With a tone in her voice that wasn't to be messed with. "Bubye bubbles Love you all!" She practically screamed, the happy and funny Amber having instantly returned. They all had a normal and mind-numbing my boring day. Until PE that is. They were already changed, ready to get on with the lesson, when the PE teacher stepped up and said something that excited everyone. "In the autumn term of next year, we'll be practicing fencing. If you all do well in this you may continue to use small swords, however you must be wearing armor for this can be extremely dangerous, please pick up a fencing stick" They're called Foils and Sabres you absolute nitwit. "Everybody, partner up. We've got stuff to do." He said, some people backed away and Amber was on of few to stay where they were. "Okay, first up, Amber Kuhl." Amber trudged over to Mr Whathisname and unsheathed her foil. "Okay, as you see I have adapted this position." He continued, placing his feet in completely the wrong way. "En guarde. Go." He said, triumph present in his voice. Oh I'll show him Amber took the correct stance and used a sequence she used back at Princelone for a kind of made-up jousting sword fighting merge. She had done extremely well and had managed to annoy the teacher even further by beating him many times before he finally accepted defeat. "And that kids, is how you fence." Mr Forgotthename was glaring daggers at Amber and even though she didn't want to admit it, she was definitely milking it. Woopsie daisy. She left the room in triumph, making sure that snotty Elizabetta, who had commented just earlier that day that she "couldn't hold a sword if her life depended on it" jokes on her.

After this, Amber had just left school with Mrs Townsend, Frankie begging her to teach her how to sword fight, and Amber (obviously) complying, telling him not to worry and that her real sword was in her trunk safely disguised as... You guessed it! A flipping sword!! It was coated in obsidian, therefore fairly heavy but extremely sharp. "It's not really very hard, at my old school we did sword fighting and fencing is just sword fighting without the blood. It's also way less fun."