Especially if their mother's plans to move in with her new boyfriend fell through after she canceled the lease on the old apartment and "She just found out about this really picturesque city, you'll love it there".

He stands in front of the blackboard, feigning way more confidence than he has.

"Hello everyone, my full name is Ridolfo but everyone calls me Rid. Me and my mum recently moved here from Italy, which means that I have opinions about food and a terrible accent. I hope we'll get along well, I tend to be quite chill."

There's a brief and modest titter at "opinions about food" but broadly this introduction is received with all the enthusiasm of twenty-odd bored sixteen year olds locked in a classroom together.

(The redheaded girl two desks away from his does give him a shy little wave, though.)

(There may also be a blonde girl at the back of the class watching him with what is probably a normal amount of suspicion and intensity.)

Is either of them single? He'll need to make some friends and then... inquire discreetly.

New place means: new library! New books! And everything is going to be in English, so hopefully there will be more books about programming than the skimpy shelf his hometown library has.

The librarian looks up, as he enters, and - blinks.

" - Ridolfo Degano, yes?" he says.  "I imagine you're sick of hearing welcome to Sunnydale High.  Can I help you out with a textbook?"  He nods toward the stacks.

Why does the librarian already know his name?

... it's probably because he's the new transfer student, so he shouldn't worry. This is perfectly reasonable.

"I'd like to read your books on computer programming, if you have any."

"Right, very good.  We have a small selection, I can show you - "

Giles will direct Rid through the stacks.  Most of the books look a fair bit older than computers, but there are a couple shelves dedicated to the subject.

"Take your pick.  You might also try speaking with our computer teacher, Ms. Lawrence, I don't imagine she'd mind if you ducked in..."

Three whole shelves! Three! That's triple what his hometown library had!

"Thank you! I'll have a look and pick - what's the check-out limit for students?"

"Seven items."

Seven! Seven!!! That's an insane number!

"Oh, then it will be easier to pick - I used to get three at home. Thank you for your help, I'll pick some and get out of your hair."

He'll just give a quick skim then.

Several hours later

"Giles we gwhaaaaat are you doing here."

The library door swings shut behind the girl who has just swiftly strode in through it.

He makes a startles "Mwha!?" noise, emerging from the deep dive into the books (New books! In English!).

"I'm reading? The books? In the library?"

"Buffy," the librarian says, sounding a touch pointed and only slightly long-suffering, "this is Ridolfo, our transfer student from Italy.  Ridolfo, this is Buffy Summers.  Buffy, why don't I show you where to find that trigonometry textbook you told me you needed to pick up."

"Right," the girl says.  With almost exaggerated earnestness, she nods once, firmly, and says, "Good idea, Giles."

She follows him into the stacks.

"Encha..." he begins to say, but she's already outside earshot. "...nted." 

Oh well. Being ignored by pretty girls is nothing new. Back to the books who don't judge him for being a nerd.

Mysterious high-intensity blonde girl whose name is apparently Buffy Summers does not emerge from the stacks for as many as several minutes.

It takes him a while, but he has finally whittled it down to only seven books to carry home with him.

He walks towards the general direction where he saw mister Giles disappear with the hot blonde girl. Who has a name. That he totally remembers.

Mu...something? Bu... Buffy! That was it!

The blonde girl of whom he has formed a normal and appropriate impression is having a whispered and kind of intense sounding conversation with the librarian.  " - here right on the heels of - "

 - she spins around to face him.  "...Hi."

"Oh, uh, hi, uuuh, hello. Buffy?" He stammers a bit, and can't avoid slipping half an interrogation mark at the end. "I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation but I have finally picked the books I'd like to check out." He turns towards Giles "How does the procedure work?"

"Go ahead and meet me at the desk - " he nods in its direction.  "Ms. Summers, why don't you and I conclude our discussion in my office."

"Right," she says shortly.  "Our discussion of.  Trig."

"Yes, Buffy."

He heads to the checkout desk.

He walks towards the desk.

They're hiding something.

He wouldn't, would he? He seems like a nice person, and she didn't look she was being forced into it.

And before Rid interrupted they were just talking, and probably would have continued there so. No. Definitely not that.

So it's probably something sketchy, or secret.

Maybe it is something horrible, but she is confiding in Giles, and the horrible thing has nothing to do with him. Which would absolutely explain why they don't want Rid to listen, maybe it's something incredibly private that happened to his classmate.

He checks out Rid's books efficiently.  It involves stamps.  "The borrowing period is three weeks," he says.  "Enjoy them.  I'm sure I shall see you here again."

"Thank you sir. And..." He hesitates a moment. "If there is something I can do to help with what Buffy is going through I'd love to. If not I'll pretend I never saw you talking, don't worry."

"That is very generous of you," he says.  He adjusts his glasses.  "But I think it would be best if you let it lie."

"Yes sir."

He'll need to get closer to Buffy, to ask her what's bothering her and totally not because he has a crush.

"Very good.  Your books are all ready.  Mind you're home before sunset."

"Thank you! And no worries, I can bike there in less than twenty minutes!"

"Good to hear.  I'm sure I shall see you around."

He runs quickly walks out of the library, looking down at his pile of New! Books! which is why he doesn't notice her until it's too late.

In his defense, she doesn't notice him until they've already walked into each other either.  Clonk.  A dozen and change books, and two teenagers, go scattering across the floor.

Ouch.

Oh, it's his pretty classmate!

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, let me help you." He gets up like it didn't hurt and starts collecting her books from the floor.

Uh, the books seem to be about demons. Interesting.

"I'm terrible with names, and seem to have tragically misplaced my memory of yours..."

"Sorry - no, it's okay, I'm sorry," she says at roughly the same time he's saying similar things.

"I'm Willow," she says.  "Uh, Rosenberg.  You're Ridolfo, right, the transfer student?"  She glances down at the books she's helping him pick up.  "Oh, are you interested in computers?"

"A pleasure to... bump into you." He bows, exaggeratedly but earnestly.

"That would be me, yes, fresh out of the colander. Yeah, I'm good with my fingers   on a keyboard" Was that a pause? Was it intentional? He pleads the fifth.

She giggles a little, at the bow, but not in a mocking way.

"I am too, is all," she says.  "Uh, into computers, I mean.  Welcome to Sunnydale, Ridolfo!" she says and instantly cringes at herself.  "Sorry about the, uh, twelve-book pileup on the freeway."

"Thank you! The people have been lovely so far! What got you interested in" he picks up one of the few books still on the floor "demonlogy?"

"Demonology?" she says, unconvincingly.  She glances down at her books.  "No demonology.  Uh.  This is for a history project.  On... historical belief in demons."

"I see. People used to believe all kind of weird stuff, eh?"

"I'll wait for you, don't worry." He makes a gesture towards the library's door.

" - you should be home before sunset."

"You too, hence why I'll wait here for you to hand in your books so I can accompany you on your way home and keep you safe!"

" - oh!"

" - well, I'm - ...'ve got a ride," she says.

"Oh. That's... good. I should get going then."

"See you around!"

"See you around, Ridolfo."