Nerd

She is the reason I don’t have to worry about changing out of my first block class anymore. The beautiful blonde girl with the amazing lips and the gorgeous blue eyes. I almost got to walk her to Mrs. Ralston’s office, but of course Michael Johnston jumped right in.

“You didn’t have a chance anyway,” Miller tells me. “From what you’re saying she’s grade A pickin’s. Nah, you should just stop worrying about it.”

I told him about how she smiled at me in the office – I didn’t tell him about how I didn’t have the courage to do anything about it. I’d just smiled back and looked away. I don’t have much experience with girls. When they see me they think awkward, loner, loser, dork, nerd, and all other sorts of things. They see me as the guy who would drag them to comic book stores and talk non-stop about conics or something. I’m not that guy – I just look like him.

I’m the guy who is just awkward about everything. I’m the guy who can’t talk to a pretty girl without sweating like a pig and stumbling like an idiot. I’m the guy who talks about dorky things, not because I actually believe that what I’m saying is interesting, but because I’m nervous and don’t know what else to say.

“You don’t understand,” I argue. “She’s perfect.”

“Sure she is. That’s why Mike stole her away from ya.”

I roll my eyes and frown. I guess Miller really is right. No reason to worry about something that would have never happened in the first place. Me and that girl are to different. She could never be interested in a guy like me. I’m sure she’s falling all over Mike just like every other girl in the school.

Just as the bell rings Mike pulls the girl of my dreams back into the classroom. She sits down a row over from me, two seats back.

Miller laughs.

“What?” I demand, glaring over at him.

“Poor kid…” he laughs harder. “You never had a chance.”

I just stare forward. Why can’t I get a girl like that? What does it take, really? I’m not all that bad looking… I don’t think. Girls don’t even look at me, though.

I stand with everyone else and say the pledge. I’m barely listening to anything that’s going on around me. I figure Mrs. Lovett is lecturing. Doesn’t really matter much if I miss it – I can always catch up.

“Um, hello,” someone says softly. When I look up I find the girl standing over me.

I just stare at her like the dumb ass I am.

“Uh… we’re supposed to be partners.” She tells me. Partners? For what? How did I miss this?

A paper ball hits me in the back of the head and I turn around to find Miller, out of his seat, on the floor next to Tim Livingston. He’s just shaking his head sadly at me.

“I-I’m Kate,” she says now, uncertainly, and I turn back to her.

I clear my throat. “I’m Ben.”

She smiles, seeming relieved. “Nice to meet you, Ben,” she says quietly and it’s then that I notice her accent. It’s really cute. She’s just cute in general.

“Nice to meet you, too,” I say lamely.

She grins and sits down in the empty desk in front of me.

“So, uh, what are we supposed to be doing?” I ask her.

“I don’t know,” she answers. “A, uh, presidential assessment?”

I nod. “Oh, okay. It’s just a diagram or list of all of the president’s achievements or mistakes and then a short paragraph about whether or not you thought he was an asset or a failure.”

“Oh.” She said, looking away and blushing.

She must be embarrassed for me. Gah, I am such a failure at life.

“So…” I say slowly, drawing out the silence. “I like your accent,” I finally say and then wish I hadn’t. I probably sound so stupid.

She’s smiling at me though. “Thanks.”

“So… uh, England, right?” I ask.

“Yeah,” she laughs lightly.

“So, why’s you move?” I pry. “Unless that’s too personal.”

She shakes her head, still smiling. “My mom got promoted, and we had to move here.”

I nod. “What does your mom do?”

Her nose scrunches up and she makes the most adorable face at me. “You know, I’m not sure. She manages something. I’ve never really asked her.”

“That’s cool.”

That’s cool? I chastise myself. What in the hell is wrong with me?

She nods at me and opens her notebook. “So what do we do?” she asks me now.

“Oh, right,” I mumble as I pull out a sheet of paper. I’d forgotten all about the assignment. “Do you want to make a list or a diagram?”

“Um…” she bites her lip. “Who are we doing?”

I smile up at her, pushing my glasses up higher on my nose. “Harding.”

“List,” she decides.

And so we start making a list.

“I like your shirt,” she says now, out of nowhere.

“Really?” I ask her, smiling. “Not very many people know what it is.”

“They don’t know Domo?” she asks, teasing. “Well, they’re just lame.”

I think I might like her even more now.

“Yes, yes they are.”

“So tell me,” she says now, narrowing her eyes at me, grinning. “You’re one of the cool kids, right?”

I laugh. “Far from.”

She shakes her head. “I think you’re pretty cool.”

No way is this happening right now. Gorgeous, amazing, sexy Kate just called me cool. Good Lord, I am a dork.

“I think you’re pretty cool, too, Kate.”

She just smiles. “What year was he elected?”

For the rest of the class we work, but I can still hear her telling me she thinks I’m cool.