The Nerd [BXB]

45 𖠇 Apology > Revenge

     Oscar enters the classroom after having gone to the bathroom during class. He sits next to me. All day, I had waited anxiously for him to bring up the Cupid's dance, but all he had done is show me videos of Ali attempting to ride a bike. So I took matters into my own hands.

     "Okay, class," Mr. Feller says, sitting on his deck. "I hate to make you do this but open your book to page 315."

The entire class groans. "Quit the moaning," Mr. Feller says, moving his hands up and down to silence down the class. "Save those for the Cupid's dance."

     We all pull our books out from underneath our tables, flipping to the instructed page. Oscar finally finds the page, frowning at the sticky note pasted on the page. It reads: 'WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO TO THE CUPID'S DANCE WITH ME?' I had drawn a small heart next to the question with glasses. He looks at me and grins, saying, "How did you know which page?"

     "Mr. Feller made me write it on the board as soon as I arrived," I explain, pointing at the board where the page number is clearly scribbled. "Anyway, is that a yes or a yes?"

     His grin fades away. "I wanted to ask you. I really did."

     "I feel like there's a 'but' coming," I say, wanting to snatch the note from his hand and crumble it in a fist.

     "I have had many absences and tardies at this point," he says, lowering his gaze. "The principal banned me from any school activity." Oscar had dreamt of it, too. His hand gripping me by the waist, dancing to a slow song so time could freeze and the two could stay young and in love forever. A teenage dream he wished to have experienced, but it was too late now. "I am sorry, Theo."

     I could see the hurt in his eyes. A blue ocean that had gone grey during a storm. "Oscar, it's fine." I grab the note and flip it around, writing some more. I slide it back to him. 'MOVIE NIGHT?,' I wrote.

     Oscar smiles again and the gloomy storm that had dragged him away brought him back to a sunny shore. "Depends on which movie?"

     I smack his arm and laugh. "I will let you pick. Does that work, princess?"

     He chuckles, causing Mr. Feller to hush him. "That sounds great," he says, lowering his voice. He stares at me, placing his elbow on the desk so he would lean his cheek on his hand. "I want to kiss you right now."

     I lean close to his ear and whisper back, "I want to kiss you all the time." I give his cheek a quick peck and go back to listening to the lecture. Meanwhile, I can feel Oscar glancing at me every second he gets the chance to do so.

𖠇

     "Genesis," Harvey calls for her in the hallway, waving his hand around like there was a crowd surrounding him.

     Genesis stood next to her locker, applying lip gloss on the mirror hanging from the door. Aurora and Blaire are leaning on the lockers next to hers, unsure about how to react to Harvey, their ignorant ex, waving at them.

     "Since when does he acknowledge us?" Aurora says, crossing her arms. Blaire shrugs.

     "Hey, girls," Harvey says, now standing in front of them. He is wearing the school blue and white jersey with dark shorts that end right about his knees. The shorts are pressed into his legs, his thighs too muscular to fit in them. "You three look really good today."

     "I've heard better compliments," Blaire says, placing a sunflower clip on her blue hair. "But thank you, Harvey."

     "What do you want?" Genesis asks, smacking her lips so the lip gloss spreads evenly over her bow lips.

     "Have you heard about the Cupid's dance?" he asks. He is well aware of how stupid the question is since that is what everyone has been talking about these last three weeks, including the school staff.

     Genesis shuts her locker, revealing a poster of the dance taped to her door. "We organized it," she says.

     "Right," Harvey whispers. "I know this question is useless since you three are going to be there anyway, but would you like to go to this dance with me?" There is sweat forming in the palm of his hands, forcing him to discreetly rub them against his shorts to wipe it off.

     The three look at one another and Harvey is convinced they can communicate telepathically. After looking at one another for more than a minute, they nod. Genesis is the one to speak: "No."

     Harvey raises his eyebrows, still shocked even though he expected this response. "I know I might not be your favorite person right now—"

     "Right now and for the last two years," Aurora adds.

     "The thing is I am truly sorry for being such a dick to you three and ignoring you for years," Harvey admits. He had been saving a speech in his head for a while ever since he woke up this morning, but his mind was blank at the moment. "You three were excellent girlfriends. Caring, intelligent, and gorgeous, of course. It was me that was the terrible boyfriend." Harvey places a hand over his mouth and drags it down, sighing. "There are a lot of things I want to say, but it all sums up to sorry. Truly, I am sorry for hurting you. I was going through a rough time, and whenever I am ready to speak about it, I will tell you everything. But for now, I am begging you to take my word for it when I say that hurting you was never my intention." Harvey shrugs. "I did not know how to love you better."

     The three look at one another again. They had been wanting to hear these words come out of him the second he called it quits. And now he had. It is confusing having listened to all that, like they did not know what to do with him anymore. Sure, their love for him had diminished over time, but the hatred had remained. Now that hatred was gone, an apology was the key to it all along.

     "Okay," Genesis speaks again, clearing her throat. "We will go to the dance with you with one condition."

     "Two, actually," Aurora says.

     "We will dress you," Blaire says, already scanning through her head which suit to put him on.

     "And will make you an appointment to fix that hair of yours," Aurora proceeds, already texting her older brother's barber. "You need a fresh cut."

     Relief floods over Harvey. "I will look my best. I promise." He lifts his hand as he says that. He is filled with joy. All these years, it had felt like he had a splinter lodged in his chest that stung with every breath he took. However, that splinter was gone, pulled out for his wound to start healing. "Can I hug you?" he tells them, spreading his arms.

     "No," the three say at the same time.

     "Okay," Harvey whispers, slowly putting his arms down. After all, he is covered in sweat from today's soccer practice, so hugging was not the best idea. "I will see you three soon then."

     He walks away with a smile on his face, wishing he had done that sooner.

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