The Nerd [BXB]

41 𖠇 Harvey and Oscar

"Okay, class! Grab your stuff," Mr. Feller says, clapping his hands at the students gathered outside the school's door. The sun has yet to greet Sunset City by enlightening the green land. A week earlier, the principal had announced a field trip to a nearby college where we would get to live the college experience and talk to professors to consider certain majors. "The bus is here!" Mr. Feller yells.

   "I forgot my water bottle," I tell Harvey, rummaging through my weightless bag.

   He opens his bag and hands me one. "Your mother packed me two."

   I take the water and stare at him. "She did, huh?"

   He nods, shrugging afterward. "I'm starting to think she likes me more. Don't you agree?"

   I take a sip from the water. "I plead the fifth."

   "What does that mean?" Harvey asks.

   "Never mind," I say, waving him off.

    "Theo, come on! Tell me—"

   "Theo!"

   Oscar catches up next to me as the line we have formed enters the bus slowly just as the second bus arrives. He has a blue hoodie while Harvey has a green one, ironically somewhat matching their eye colors.

   Oscar looks at Harvey for a quick second before focusing back on me. "Hey, Harvey."

   Harvey just smiles at him.

   "Want to keep me company the whole ride?" he asks me, nudging my shoulder. "I brought chocolate chips cookies Al and my mother made last night, and one with a little too much chocolate was made for you."

There's a warmth that accompanies me after his words that help me forget about the cold morning. "I already have planned to sit with someone else," I say. Next to me, Harvey grins. "But don't you dare touch that cookie or Al will hear my complaints."

Mrs. Mills is at the entrance of the bus, marking who is present on her list as the students get in one by one. She has red gloves as she holds the clipboard and pen. "Name?" she asks me.

I open my bag once again and pull out a box of Ritz. "Now you know me?"

"Get in, stranger. You're sitting with me," she tells me, pointing her black pen inside. "It's warmer inside."

I smile at her and head inside, leaving the two boys behind.

"Harvey—"

"Harvey Cohen," Harvey reminds her.

"Right." She marks him present. "And Oscar—"

"Ashmore, ma'am. Oscar Ashmore."

She marks him present and puts the clipboard down. "The rest of you head to the other bus. Mr. Feller has your list."

The other half of the class joins Mr. Feller while Harvey and Oscar stare at Mrs. Mills.

"So it's full already?" Harvey asks.

"I can head to the other bus if this one is too packed," Oscar offers, ready to join the rest by gripping his bag to his chest.

"Nonsense," Mrs. Mills says, pushing the two inside the bus. "There's enough space for you two."

I wave at them from the front seat as the two head to the back where the right seat is all abandoned.

Oscar stands next to the seat. "You can go first."

"You go," Harvey says, putting his bag on the compartment attached to the room above his seat. "I'll be asleep most of the ride, anyway. I don't want the sun to hit me directly."