As Told By Nerdy

Chapter 10 - The Lockers of Doom

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Chapter 10 – The Lockers of Doom

“Sarah, you’re going to be late! Leonard’s here!” Mom called from the foot of the staircase.

Hurriedly, I took one last glance at myself in the mirror, patting down my hair. My denim overalls felt a little short today, or maybe I was just growing. I’ve read that girls continue to grow taller until the age of twenty-one. I wish.

The gray fabric of my cardigan against the white undershirt, a pair of faded grayish blue jeans in addition to my dark brown hair, gray eyes with a green tinge behind black-rimmed glasses and insipid face; I could pass for some black and white photograph from some sixties’ yearbook.

“Coming!” I yelled back, my chest pounding.

With all due respect, I think Leon and I were now an item. However, he didn’t mention anything about it when he went with me to the shopping district last night and I was too afraid he would suddenly wake up from his horrific dream and change his mind so I didn’t open the matter. I just spent every minute of it gazing freely at him (and sometimes gawking) admiring his every move and getting a fright whenever I felt his nearness. He rarely spoke, walked a step behind me, his hand propped at the small of my back but not actually touching me. Constantly, his eyes drilled through me as though he found it rather amusing to analyze my every move.

Maybe he was having second thoughts. Maybe he thought I was weird.

I hurled myself down the stairs, to the porch where Leon sat in an awkward silence with Mom, who was so intent on studying him.

Leon stood up smiling which proved once again that all that happened yesterday wasn’t merely a chunk of my lush imagination. My heart was racing frantically; choking with exhilaration. I couldn’t bring myself to return his smile.

After a few polite exchange of words with Mom (which I didn’t comprehend given that I was overly preoccupied gawking at Leon yet again), he bid goodbye—all I could make out was his mellifluous voice and the perplexing, yet charming modesty.

“So what strange mushroom have you eaten for breakfast?” I managed to blurt out as we walked, pleased that I sounded exceedingly sarcastic this time.

He let out a soft chuckle. “Okay… I believe that is your bizarre way of thanking me for walking you to school, so you’re very much welcome.”

All I could manage was a pathetic groan. It was hard enough not to appear like a total idiot in front of him, much more respond to his outlandish, insufferable yet alluring humor. All I could do was hyperventilate.

It was a life saver when his mobile phone rang before we reached the school gates.

“Yes Ger,” His brows furrowed once Gerald spoke on the other end of the line, a glum expression erasing the smile on his face. “Yes,” he nodded turning away then spoke in a hushed tone, sighing and mumbling as he did.

Leon stepped silently ahead of me. There was that constant brooding air about him which was quite unreadable after that phone call.

“Le-Leonard,” I called him, not really knowing what to say.

He paused for a while and hesitantly met my gaze; eyes searching for something unknown to me, then towed me gently to the school gates.

My shoulders stiffened with his nearness, yet there was coldness with the way he treated me. The detachment in his eyes crumpled my tummy like I was never to be happy ever again. I wanted to know badly whatever it was that might be bothering him.