Book Smart, Romantically Challenged (Wesley Stromberg/Emblem3 FanFic)

Chapter 1

*Sofia's POV*

"Manang!!" I yelled down the stairs of my aunt's house. "Have you seen my backpack?" My older sister, Kirsty, had cleaned my aunt's house this weekend, so I had no clue where things were.

"Sofia, by door," my grandmother spoke in the broken accent that I have grown up to.

"Ah, salamat, Lola," [Ah, thank you, Grandmother] I sigh, kissing her cheek.

"Walay sapayan anak," [You're welcome child] she said before hobbling back into the living room to crochet whatever she was working on this week.

"Tita Norma! I'm ready for school!" I yelled as I walked into the dining room. My cousins Adrian and Ashlyn sitting at the table as my sister cooked. I grabbed a plate of eggs, fried rice, and bacon, nodding a thanks to my sister, and took a seat next to Ashlyn.

"I'm taking us to school today. Mom had to go to work early today," Adrian said taking a sip of orange juice.

"Ate (*A/N pronounce ah-tay*) [Older sister] ! Save me from Kuya's [Older brother's] driving please! He drives like we're still in Cebu!" Ashlyn said. We all laughed at that, well, except Adrian that is.

"Hey! My driving isn't that bad! Plus, how many times do you see an accident in Cebu compared to here?" Adrian defending his poor skills.

"You've got a point about the accidents, but people don't know how to be as curtious or even how to dodge an oncoming car like in Cebu," I say scooping up the last of my fried rice. "You guys ready?" I say truning to my cousins. They nod and head to goodbye to my grandmother.

"Bye Lola," I say giving her cheek a kiss. I then bring her knuckles up to my forehead as a Filipino sign of respect.

I then go to Kirsty, hug her and say, "Bye Manang [Sister]. Love you." I then go outside to get in Adrian's car, which was Tita Norma's before she got a newer one. I hop in shotgun, and we drive off to Ashlyn's school. After dropping Ashlyn off, we head to mine and Adrian's school, Huntinton Beach High. I am a junior and Adrian is a senior.

*******

I stand grabbing my Physics and Pre-Calculus books from my locker for my first and second periods. As I turn around and shut my locker, I'm shoved down by Mr. Popular, Wesley Stromberg. I hit my head against the lockers and my books fly to the floor along with the rest of my belongings. I see Mr. Popular look back at me, no regret or sorrow in his eyes. Instead, him and his oafs that he calls friends laugh at me. They pass me and soon, some boy is helping me get my stuff. He has light brown, almost blonde hair and blue-green eyes. I pick up my books, bag, rosary beads, and a picture with my whole family before we left Cebu. I shove my stuff in my bag quickly. he hands me my beanie that fell off as I hit the locker.

"Uh, here. My name's Keaton," the boy says.

"Thanks. I'm Sofia. Aren't you his brother?" I say, pointing my thumb over my shoulder to the jerk that shoved me down.

"Uhm, yeah. Listen, I'm sorry about that. He can be.." Keaton trails off.

"A jerk, rude, stuck up?" I say before he can finish.

"Yeah," he says with a chuckle.

"Hey, it was nice meeting you, but I goota go. I need to talk to my Pre-Cal teacher about anassignment," I say.

"Oh yeah. It was nice meeting you, Sofia. See ya later," the boy waves at me and walks off. I head to my Pre-Cal class, when my mind wanders off to this mornings events.

Wesley Stromberg. Him and his stupid clique think they are the gods of this school. In their minds, every girl should be throwing themselves at them at theirr expense. They think they should be treated like they are better than any other person in this place. Please, this is school, it shouldn't matter who you're hooking up with this week or how many you hooked up with this weekend or which latest fashions you're wearing, it should matter how your grades are or how high you scored on the SATs or which colleges your applying to or where you got accepted. I hated kids like that, being attractive shouldn't be the rate to be popular. School might as well be a beauty pageant if it keeps going at this rate. UGH! This is the only thing that I don't like about school.

*Wes's POV*

I walk trough the school doors with all my friends. I shove past a girl, I don't even know her name, which is weird seeing as how i knew pretty much everyone's name, and she falls against the lockers. I look back at her to see Keaton walking up to her. I just laughed. Of course, Keaton would be the one to help someone in need, whether it's the school nobody or the school slut.

The day goes by as usual until my sixth period Algebra class comes around. Yes, I know it's pitiful that I am a junior in high school that is still in Algebra, but, hey, everybody's mind work differently. Just as the final bell rang, my teacher asked me to stay after to talk. I packed up my thingds slowly, taking my time until it was only me and the teacher.

"Mr. Stromberg, I'm afraid that if you don't bring your grade up to at least a B this semester, you will fail, and you won't be able to graduate next year," Mr. Medina, one of the mathb teachers here at Huntington Beach High, says.

"Wait, what? Mr. M, you know I have to graduate."

"I know Wesley. That's why I suggest you take after school tutoring. The top twenty students of our school have graciously given up their afternoon time to help those in need of some catching up. Tutoring is from three to five every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. You should come, it will most liklely help," he says.

"Fine. Thanks, Mr. M," I sigh and walk out of the classroom.

As I walk down the hallways, I spot the girl from this morning. All of a sudden, Adrian Santos, the best basketball player at this school, walks up to her. Luckily, I am just close enough to hear their conversation. I duck behind a wall of lockers to sheild myself.

"Batang kapatid na babae," [Younger sister] Adrian smirks.

"Really, Kuya? You're such an idiot sometimes," she laughs.

"Fine Manang. I still don't get why you call Kirsty 'Manang', when the correct term is 'Ate'. I mean, she's older than you, so you should call her 'Ate', it's like when Ashlyn calls you 'Ate', it's because you're older. Mayroon akong isang punto. [I have a point]"

"Gayon pa man," [Anyway] the girl says.

"I heard what happened this morning. Are you okay? Do I need totake care of everything?" he says dead serious.

"No Kuya Adrian, I'm fine. I don't want to be in the light like you. If you stay to yourself at school, I will be able to be the nobody. I can handle myself. Thank you for wanting to proctect me, but it's what's besst for the both of us. I mean, what are people going to think when they find out that Adrian Santos, the school's best basketball player, is hanging out with the school's nobody? C'mon Kuya, you know that I never wanted to be popular, I like school for the lessons, not the people. I love you."

"Okay, whatever you say Manang. I love you, too." This is when I walk out. I see her wrap her arms around his neck, and his slide around her waist. It's odd because he is at least six foot and she is probably around 4'9, maybe 4'11. They walk out with his arm over her shoulders and she's laughing.

What the hell was that?

*A/N: I AM PARTIALLY FILIPINO SO I KNOW SOME OF THESE PHRASES, OTHERS I AM USING THE TRUSTY GOOGLE TRANSLATE TO FIND OUT. THE TRANSLATIONS ARE THE BOLD, BRACKETED WORDS. TBH, ALL OF THE NAMES OF THE FAMILY ARE NAMES OF MY COUSINS AND AUNT. THIS MAY TAKE A WHILE TO UPDATE 'CAUSE I LIKE TO WRITE LONG CHAPTERS TO KEEP THE READERS SATISFIED. PLZ VOTE, FOLLOW, COMMENT IDEAS!!!!!