Beauty and the Dork

Nerves

"Go, it's not a good idea," I hissed, following her around her kitchen as she pulled together snacks for the boys. She turned, beaming at me, and shook her head.

"It will be great – they need to do things like this, and you'll feel better with some of your friends there," she insisted. She set the chips on the counter and wrapped her arms around my back, grinning up at me.

"What if people are mean to them?" I asked, nervously looking out the window at my dorks. She started scratching my back and I took in a shuddering breath.

"I won't let them," she answered.

She kept smiling up at me and rocked up on her toes to kiss me. I caught her face in my hands and kissed her longer and deeper. She wrapped her hands around my wrists, keeping me there with her. These were the moments where there was an intersection between us – where she was Old Margot and I was Eddie the Brave, or I was the dorky metalhead she picked up, and she was New Margot. It was always one of us trying to build the other one up.

She pulled back and grinned up at me, making my heart stop with her smile. I traced her cheeks with my thumbs.

"You are going to lose a lot of social capital by showing up with all of us. It was going to be bad enough for you showing up with me, but with all of them, it's essentially social suicide," I warned quietly. Her eyes flashed but quickly softened. She pressed her hands to my chest.

"Are you going to stop liking me if that's the case?" she asked. I shook my head quickly.

"Of course not, you've got me as long as you want me, Go," I stammered, not wanting her to think I'd ever leave her again. She kissed me again and smiled brightly.

"Then I don't care. I want to go to a party with my boyfriend, and my friends, and I want to have a good time," she replied. I felt my heart melt and I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her to me.

"You're something else, princess," I said quietly. She hooked her hands around the back of my neck and winked at me.

"That's what makes this fun, right?" she flirted. I nodded and pressed my lips to hers, kissing her until we were both out of breath. She pulled back, her face flushed, and she smiled nervously up at me.

"I missed you so much," I said before I could stop myself. She nodded.

"Back at you," she flirted. She kissed me again. "Take the snacks out to the boys – I'm going to start getting cleaned up."

She dropped me and pranced towards the stairs, looking over at her shoulder to me once before she was out of eyesight. I let out a quiet cheer and went back outside, unable to lose my smile.

"I can't believe we are going to a party!" Dustin exclaimed as I walked outside. I felt my nerves come back up and tried to swallow them down.

"Do you think you should go to a party, buddy? Don't you think you're a little young?" I asked, trying to get rid of at least one of my dorks. He furrowed his brows at me.

"I'm going to that party. Margot Patterson invited me," he replied. I smiled tersely and nodded.

"Alright – guess that's that," I said, anxious again. "Guys – you need to go get ready. Meet back here around eight."

They all agreed, getting out of the pool and teasing each other as they dried off. I walked them to the front door and waved goodbye as they took off. I closed the door and took a deep breath in, my nerves getting out of control.

"You sigh like you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders," Margot observed.

I jumped and looked up at the top of the stairs. She was smiling one of her heart stopper smiles, only in a towel and her hair dripping onto her collarbones I felt my stomach flip and mouth go dry. Her grin grew and she disappeared back into her room. I immediately raced up after her, desperate to get my hands on her.