Can't Help Falling In Love With The Hot NERD

Part 6: Can't Help Falling In Love With The Hot NERD

"Did you set it up?" I whispered to Anne during the last minutes of 7th period.

"Yeah, I guess you'll be able to hear it in a few seconds," she winked mischievously.

"One, two, three," the scream came quickly after my countdown.

It had been a week since Derick's transfer and I was starting to get frustrated. How could one nerdy boy go through so many irritable situations and still ignore me? I'd set up an innumerable amount of tricks and traps but none of them seemed to faze the silent guy. And today was just a last attempt.

I frowned as the hallways were filled with students wondering where the horror-filled yell came from. The only problem was: that scream wasn't Derick's. It was a random girl's.

"What happened?"

"Mary, was that you?"

"Look!"

The bag of unnamed insects laid on the desk right in front of the glaring Derick. And with that, I smiled to myself. Finally, a reaction! But not the type I'd been looking for.

As the teachers rushed students back to their classrooms, I stayed.

Now, all who was left was me, in the doorway and the fist-clenched Derick, still staring down at the icky bugs.

"So, how do you feel now?" I asked with my arms crossed. The bell was going to ring soon and I wasn't going to take all day.

"Why are you doing this?" Derick finally yelled. And I reveled in the sweet taste of revenge.

"I warned you," I leaned my hips against the door frame and smirked. "School here isn't going to be a walk in the park. You should get used to it."

But as I turned to make my cool-exit, Derick grabbed my wrist at the speed of light and made a statement that I wasn't expecting.

"I know you hate me, but what has that got to do with these innocent insects?" Derick's face was flaming with anger. "If you're going to torment me, why not doing it in honest and not have it affect other people? And that includes animals!"

"So let me get this straight," I shook my hand out of his hold and gave him an incredulous look. "You're not angry at me for embarassing you in front of a group of our peers, but because I used insects to do so?"

"They aren't my friends; Why should I care?" he nodded anyway.

"Wow!" I sighed angrily. "You're like a statue! You don't react to anything!"

"I've been wondering for a while, but now I get it!" Derick pushed me against the lockers slightly. "So this is all for your personal fun? You have no motive but to get enjoyment out of my discomfort!"

"Who said that? I'm doing this for revenge!"

"Revenge? What did I ever do to you?"

"Because of you, I can't study, I can't think, and I can't sleep!" I yelled angrily. It's not like he was the only one with feelings.

"How do I have anything to do with that? What? You can't study? That's because you waste your time trying out your mediocre bullying and childish pranking! You can't think? It's because your always trying to come up with ideas on how to make me suffer! But you know what?"

"What?" Derick's words actually seemed to make sense.

"Your ideas are all recycled and none of them have surprised me at all! And you can't sleep? What do I have to do with that? If you want to know why you can't sleep, why don't you just ask your boyfriend?"

"What did you say?" my emotions were going up and down like a rollercoaster.

"I said, leave me alone! I never did anything to you! School isn't for playing around! I want nothing to do with you," and he turned away.

I was left speechless in the empty hallway.

The bell rang and as my mind began to work again, so did my feet.

"Wai-" I stopped when I excited the school enterance.

Derick crouched, facing the school garden. He was emptying out the bag of bugs back to where Anne and I had originally gotten them from. Yet, that wasn't what amazed me. It was his face.

He looked so... Peaceful. Nothing like just a few moments ago.

As he stood up to leave the school grounds, I stopped him.

"Wait," my voice faltered slightly.

He stopped without turning to look at me. "What do you want now?"

"They were just pranks. You don't have to take them seriously."

"I never did."

"And I don't hate you..."

"I know."

Silence followed for a few seconds.

"So... What now?" I muttered in a monotone.

"You're pretty and popular. Do whatever you want."

"And you?"

"I'll do the same. And I'll wait."

"Wait? For what?"

"Until you realize the reasons to why you've done what you have."

"Bothering you? Why do I need to realize it?"

"Because I already have."

Derick left.