As Told By Nerdy

Chapter 3 - Hotshot Matt

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Chapter 3 — Hotshot Matt

“Hey, Nerdy!” Matthew Adams slid next to me as I opened my locker after the second period.

I didn’t notice him immediately. My thoughts still lingered on what happened last night – trying to make out if it really happened or was it just a chunk of my mischievous imagination?

“Nerdy!” he grunted, stroking his black hair which waved at the sides of his head. It had been a requirement for football players for several years now to have decent hair, and as the team captain, he must set a good example to his team mates, but Matt Adams wouldn’t be someone you would want to be in the same room with when talking about morals and responsibility.

“Hey, is that my biology report there?” He smiled delighted and snatched the folder from my hands sending pieces of paper flying in all directions.

There goes my report.

I kept my gaze down and nodded. Resistance would just cause more nuisances for me. “I… have to go now,” I mumbled as I shut my locker close.

“What’s with the hurry? Won’t you let me thank you?” A sarcastic smile curved the corner of his lips. “Hmmm… Lunch it is!” he said slapping me hard on my back before he swaggered his way through the crowd of students beaming arrogantly.

Stooping, I rubbed my shoulder where he hit me and coughed. I shook my head in frustration. As much as I hated being bullied and making his reports from time to time, it was quite difficult to assert myself without facing trouble.

Sighing heavily, I headed to my Biology class and sat without so much as a glance to anyone who stared at me. I kept my head down all the time. It was easier that way although I would prefer it if I could pretend to be invisible. Anyone lend me their invisibility cloaks!

The Biology room was all gray and white with two rows of sleek workbenches about a yard and a half long that was supposed to be occupied by two people. Most of the time the experiments were done in two’s. Leonard Dunn, also known as Leon Walden sat silently next to me. Unfortunately, my last Bio partner Chris Robson had just moved to Colorado. Consequently, the teacher thought I needed someone to irritate me or the class would not be much fun. For example, Leonard Dunn. Sigh.

I could see at the corner of my eyes that he was uneasy though he concealed it rather well. But I didn’t dare look directly. I resolved to forget everything so we could both carry on with our not so nerdy lives.

“Sarah,” Becky tapped my back. “Are you okay? You seem to be spacing out a bit.”

I managed a wry smile. “I’m fine.” Lying was never my thing so I averted my gaze from hers—I was worried my eyes would sell me out.

Class went slowly. I don’t know if it was just me or did the clock just seem a bit sluggish than usual? I was so absorbed musing about the encounter with my fraud seat mate, I gawked at Mr. Collins for a while before realizing that he was calling me for recitation. The teacher shook his head in disappointment and muttered under his breath.

The bell rang. It was lunch break. Hurriedly, I gathered my books intending to go to the only place Matt Adams would hopefully forget to search for me—the library. But before I could walk away, Becky caught me and tried to interrogate me once more.

I was tempted to tell her about Leonard’s secret but I knew all too well that she couldn’t keep this a secret even if it meant my life… or hers.