4 Nerds Want Lemons

2

Chapter 2

Ryland

Tuesday, 12:33 pm

I was staring after Tomlin as he pounced out of the lunch area like he was the queen of the school. And by all rights, at this moment, I felt that he really was the queen. He was funny and kind. He was gorgeous with his light strawberry hair and black rimmed glasses. I even liked his converse, skinny jeans, and plain t-shirt he always wore. It was just odd that today of all days he sat with us. And he didn't even ask our names. Nor did we give ours. Did he know our names like we knew his? I highly doubted it.

"That whole interaction was odd." Jay mused. His light blonde hair and gray, steady eyes were traveling with mine as we followed Tomlin inside the school.

"I agree." I told him. "We didn't even exchange names. Maybe it was a one-off."

"Can't be." Sammy, the shortest and shy one with his green eyes and brunette buzzcut just like mine, chimed in, showing me a cell phone that wasn't mine.

"I still have his phone, Bossman. I took care of the post and blocked every member, except Darius and I, from being able to post that shit on the school's forum again. I tracked it down, and it was that Tessa Manzoni girl."

"Oh, no way." Darius, with his black hair and amber eyes, laughed hard enough to snort.

"That's Tomlin's best friend. Should we tell him?" Sammy sounded like he was going to explode from the information. 

He was always like this, a little hot head. Just like when he blew up a few nights ago on the basketball team. I still hadn't really talked about that with him yet, but I was still pissed and this wasn't helping.

"No." Jay said matter of factually. "Let's stay out of it. We don't even know him well enough to tell him that we can totally get random information about people."

I nodded. "Yeah, plus. If we hang out with him. It'll only make it worse for him. People do this and worse to us all the time." It was true, but that sucked because he was a cool cat.

"Ryland, you make it sound like we are his enemies. We aren't. If anything, we are his allies." Darius retorted.

"I agree." Sammy told us, stopping at his locker. "I helped him end the stupid post. And I can help him bury Tessa without ever telling him. Can I do that?" He smiled widely at me.

I nodded. "No way. Why? Why are you doing it? Do you like him?" I asked, feeling a little jealous.

Sammy stopped what he was doing to look at me with a disgruntled face. His shyness always went out the window when he was angry, and right now, he was definitely that. Jay put his long arm around Sammy's shoulders and glared at me.

"I think Sammy is just trying to help a fellow bullied kid out, Ry. He doesn't have to like him to help, does he?" Jay sounded snippy.

"I don't like it when you guys gang up on me." I snarled.

"No one's ganging up on you, bossman." Darius shook his head, sticking a sucker in his mouth.

I had to look away. It was sexual to me even when it shouldn't be. Darius winked and walked away from me without another word. Jay followed him, leaving Sammy and I to stare at one another.

"Well?" I asked him. "Do you like Tomlin Lemons?"

Sammy frowned. "I think he's beautiful. But it's not about liking him, Ryland. One of his best friends fucked with him. I just want to help. If you don't want me too. I won't. Simple as that."

"I don't want you to. All it'll do is make him feel like he has to be our friend. And we both know that'll only make his situation worse." My voice was shaky, and Sammy didn't like it when I sounded angry.

Sammy grimaced and walked away from me. Great, I'd made all of my friends mad. And all I did was try to protect us. And Tomlin. You really don't understand how many people have teased us. And Tomlin didn't understand it either. I knew he had no idea who we were when he sat down. I was just hoping someone would tell him so he'd leave us alone. Otherwise, everyone would fall for him, and we'd be messed up as a group.

Shit.

I was jealous. Super jealous. And I'd just met the kid. I was enamored and enthralled as well. This was no good. No good at all.