The Nerd Herd

Chapter 11

 “Goodnight kids.” My mother says as she passes my door.

I outwardly groan and pull the covers up over my head in a dramatic way with my face buried in the pillow.

“Goodnight to you too.” I can tell Troy is grinning.

“Shut up.”

“Down girl. No need to snap.”

“Go to sleep.”

“Not until you tell me where all this anger and hostility is coming from.”

“You bully me. You can't honestly expect me to want you in my room sleeping by me for a month.”

“I could be sleeping with you if that helps.”

“No it does not. Go to sleep.”

“I don’t want to.”

“At least be quiet. I need to sleep.”

“Why? Your life is boring. What could you possibly have going on that you need so much sleep for?”

“Do you understand that it’s 11 o’clock and I actually care about what my grades look like?”

“I understand it. I also understand that your life sucks.”

“Sorry I'm not going to be a high school drop out like you.”

“I'm not going to drop out.”

“That’s right, you just won't graduate.”

“I'm passing.”

“D’s do not count as passing very well. You might as well drop out because you won't get a very good job in the real world.”

“I don’t need a real job. I'm going to be a professional hockey player.”

“How are you still on the team with grades like yours?”

“We just have to be passing.”

“Stupid.” I mutter. I close my eyes and try to zone out. He is quiet for a few seconds but then I hear music loudly radiating through ear buds.

“Turn it down.” He doesn’t respond.

“Turn it down.” I tell him a little louder. Nothing, zip, nada. I reach over the side of my bed and rip them out of his ears.

“Hey!”

“I told you to turn it down. If you are going to be loud go sleep in the living room.” He grumbles but turns off the music and turns over away from me. Ah much better. I get comfortable again and soon drift to sleep.

Troy

It’s Friday thank God. I head to the locker room after the last bell rings to get ready for practice. Fate telling me I was stupid actually kind of hurt my feelings, as unmanly as that is, and I decided I would try better and get higher grades just to prove her wrong.

“So? How’s your goal going?” Damn it, I forgot.

I turn to look at Austin.

“It’s a little harder than I originally thought.”

“I knew it would be. That’s why I gave you until the end of the year.”

“Truthfully, I thought it would be easier to get her to fall for me, especially since I have to stay with her for a month.”

“You have to live with her for a while?”

“Her mom busted me about the party.”

“That was wicked by the way.”

“I know right! Anyway, she just gets on my nerves so much I can't take the time to figure out what makes her fall for guys?”

“So you can't just use your looks and power like every other girl?”

“Fate’s different. I don’t think she has a heart.”

“That’s cold.”

“Like her.” We laugh a little and finish dressing out. I throw on my skates and head out to the schools ice rink. The coach blows his whistle and we begin drills.