If You Believe

Lissy Kate, Nerd Extraordinaire

     "Good gosh, Lissy. Put the book down and pay attention!" I glare at Paige over the top of my book, which today, happens to be Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. My favorite out of the series. Paige gives me a knowing look that says, "the last thing we need is to not be popular in high school" all over it. Paige has this fabulous idea that if we sit with some semi-popular sophomore girls in the lunchroom, we will end up as popular freshmen, which will lead to inevitable success and a bright future. I roll my eyes as she gives me another pressing look (what is so interesting about listening to sixteen year olds rant about highlights and lowlights?!), and indignantly shove my face back in my book. One of the girls mentions something about the new Mockingjay movie and immediately perk up. 

     "Oooh, I like the blond one with the hot body, isn't his name, like, Nick or something?" drawls a quite heavily made-up brunette in skinny jeans and a Pink hoodie. I narrow my eyes at the sight of her plastic face and obvious hair extensions. 

     "Oh! No. No no no. His name is Finnick Odair, and he's played by Sam Claflin." I blurt with a fire that surprises even me. Paige is looking at me like she's been electrocuted. I shrug. At least I set the information straight, I think to myself. The bell rings, and the sophomore girls throw themselves from our table like there's a Victoria's Secret sale going on outside the lunchroom doors. 

     "Elisabeth Olivia Kate. Why'd you have to do that?" Paige demands. "How are we supposed to get popular when we can't make friends with the older girls?"

     "Why is everything about popularity for you, Paigey? It's no biggie. Plus, they have no business talking about the Hunger Games movies when, A, they obviously haven't read the books, and B, they don't even know anything about key characters!" I'm a little passionate about my fandom facts.

     "Well you need to learn to live a life outside your little, like, brain world." Paige says this with distinct resentment, like she has always planned on hating the bookish lifestyle. Being Paige's only friend, I know that she is her own version of book nerd underneath the facade of a desperate attempt at a cool girl. But aren't book nerds cool, anyway? That's what I wish she could see. 

     "I'd rather be surrounded by clever wizards in my head, than by conceited Valley Girl wannabes in the lunchroom." We reach my locker and I sigh and put my hand on Paige's shoulder. "Look. You're my best friend. I realize that finding a bigger friend group is important to you, and if that's what you legitimately want, then I'm gonna do my best to support that. But I won't let you betray the Paige I know is in there. The Paige who didn't have to ask me twice to dress up in robes to go see the last Harry Potter movie, the Paige who cried on my shoulder when her favorite wizards died, the Paige who stayed up all night eating ice cream with me as we scrolled through pictures of Daniel Radcliffe on Google." She laughs softly, and I know I'm getting somewhere. "You know you wanted to correct those girls about Finnick, too. You just thought it would ruin your chances. If they won't embrace our interests and obsessions, they don't deserve our time." 

     "You're right, you're totes right, I'm sorry. I just... I just want to be popular, and like schoolwide famous or something, because, like... The nerds never get any friends, so I just can't be nerdy around other people..." Paige bursts into tears and clutches her notebooks to her chest. I give her a light hug. Hopefully a good breakdown will work for the better. I just want my Paigey back.

Hey, guys! What do you think so far? I just love Harry Potter and The Hunger Games, How about you? Do you like Paige? Are you more like Lissy or Paige? If you enjoyed this chapter, and you want more, hit that little star button, and make sure to comment the name of your favorite book below. Thanks for reading! x