Nerves by Jebbypal

Rating: E

Spoilers: Not really any for the movie, Serenity, since I haven't seen it (and please don't spoil me in the comments.), but it's based on Session 1, 22, and 416 of the viral marketing clips, so spoilers for those.

Summary: River's nervous during the interview.

A/N: I plan to add to this as more sessions become available. Thanks to Neroli66 for the quick beta last night.

Oh, and Darn Joss for planting this bunny!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of it.

Session 1

The interviewer makes her nervous. It’s as if spiders are scuttling out of him and into her stomach, a feeling that she can’t block out at all. Instead, River settles for glancing nervously away from him as she answers his questions. Hopefully, she isn’t making too bad of an impression. The school’s brochures were so exciting when she read them. The idea of being at a school filled with kids just like her is too tempting to resist. That must be the cause of this the crawling anxiety that she can’t quite repress.

She can’t remember a time when she’s ever wanted anything so much. Not even the lead in Swan Lake when she was ten.

She looks back at the interviewer as she answers his question. “They call me ‘Little Mouse’,” she says.

He nods with satisfaction and asks if the students in her classes are ever jealous. The question throws her. What does it matter if they are? Simon’s proud of her, that’s all that matters. Thanks to him, she’s never minded not having friends her own age. He doesn't even care when she makes fun of his friends, after they leave, of course. River remembers when Simon told her that she had to wait until they were alone to crack her jokes. She thinks she was three.

The man leans forward slightly with anticipation as she explains her ability to read body language. She’s surprised that he’s giving so much away. The interview invite had stated that he was a neurologist and a psychologist; surely, he’s learned to control his body language better. Nevertheless, h