The Nerd Can Fight (#1)

Chapter 16

I woke up in the middle of the night, gasping for air as I shot up from the couch. I looked around frantically and tried to remember where we are as my heart thudded loudly against my ribs painfully.

My hands were clutching the shirt covering my chest in a fist, trying to calm my ragingly beating heart.

I finally managed to force myself to focus and reminisced what happened last night. Meanwhile, Adam, who apparently gave me some space to sleep and decided to sleep on the carpet instead, stirred awake and hummed in silence.

After rubbing the sleep off his eyes, he sat and stretched, instantly wincing and held onto his back. He finally caught me staring and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Erm, hey?" It came out as a question and I can't help but give him a weak smile at his attempt.

"Was it another nightmare?" He asked as I shifted my position and gave him room on the couch. He sat beside me and I laid my head back, leaning on the couch for support before nodding.

The others were still sound asleep and I was afraid of waking them up. Thank God I didn't shout or scream this time. I don't usually wake up in silence but when I do, I appreciate the calm atmosphere I'm greeted with. It helps calm my nerves after those memories flooding my mind.

I sighed in exhaustion. Bryant was a soft subject and I know Adam didn't want to pry but him shifting every 5 seconds is starting to get on my nerves. "It's okay, I know what you're about to ask me." I muttered quietly and quite begrudgingly.

"You don't have to tell me," Adam rushed out but I shook my head. "No, it's fine. It's just a lot to get out." I squeezed my eyes shut and rubbed my forehead and temples.

"He was the best brother anyone can ask for. He was my rock, my everything." I started as the tears prick the back of my eyes and my breathing started to get heavy.

"It was right after a party some sophomore held. He didn't want me to come because he wasn't in good terms with someone in that guy's circle of friends but I insisted that I need to come. I was challenged by the popular girls in school that a nerd like me would never blend in and would never dare to step a foot in a party. My stupid ego got in the way and I was dead set on proving them wrong so I did.

I went to the party and had Bryant drive me there. I used some skimpy ass clothing and attended the party and made sure the girls saw me there." I chuckled humorlessly. "I was naïve, I wanted to blend in so much. I was an idiot." I spat in disgust. Adam was smart and stayed quiet throughout it all.

"That night, after the party, I called Bryant to pick me up and he did. Without realizing it, I was luring him to his death. A truck driver crashed into our car that night and took his life."

I was biting my inner cheeks as I kept on speaking and without realizing it, I reached up to brush the strands of hair away from my face only to find my cheeks wet, dampened by the tears that were already streaming down my face.

"When the crash happened, I was sleeping and he shook me awake to alert me but before I slept, we were bickering about who was the better driver.

He was obviously the better driver but it seemed to me that he wanted to prove himself and he did." My smile was cold as I remembered the events that happened that night. "He proved himself. He could've came out of that crash unscathed but instead he put my safety first before his and it took his life."

I squeezed my eyes shut as I wrapped my hands around myself and held in the sobs.

"When the crash happened, he swerved the passenger's side away from the truck and launched his body on top of my curled up one to shield me from the crash." My body shook as I held in my cries.