Paired With The Potterhead

Chapter One: Nora the Nerd

Dangerous Times - Wildlife

Chapter One: Nora the Nerd

High school is nothing like what people describe it. It's nothing like you read about in teen fiction or what you see in popular tv. They tell you it's the greatest four years of your life and it's the pinnacle of your teenage years but they don't tell you that it's also the worst four years of your life. It's all pretty hush hush mainly kept secret so that you don't feel so bad about yourself.

For example, English literature was a class I didn't care much for. I hated words and grammar and all that stuff. I was a numbers girl. A math girl. The girl who was found in the chemistry lab during free period doing experiments for extra credit. If you gave me a book, I wouldn't be able to read it. I'd probably stare at it and pray laser beams shoot out of my sockets and burn it. Give me a mathematical equation and I'll solve it lickity split (on account of the fact I am Asian, I refuse to be a part of the stereotype that all Asians are good at math. My father is terrible at it).

Our English teacher, Mr. Yelchin, was handing out our yearly assignments about ten minutes before class got out. Usually these assignments involved reading books and writing reports on them and much to my distaste, group work. I worked better alone. I can get things done faster that way without having to wait on anyone else to hold up their weight in the group. It was a pain in the ass.

"Does everyone have a copy of their assignments? Excellent. Let's jump right into it," Mr. Yelchin said as he opened up the criterion. "Your assignment is simple: read a book and write a report on it. But I don't just want a report. I want you to think outside the box here. Make a diagram of the book you read. Film a short movie based on a scene in the book. Get creative and don't be scared to really take it to the next level."

This piqued my interest. I love making short films for my YouTube channel. The possibilities here were endless. Maybe I could even make a stop motion film like Tim Burton.....or an epic CGI like James Cameron's Avatar....the possibilities ran through my mind like a roller coaster.

"And before you guys get all excited, this will be a group effort. You'll be paired up-" Everyone began to mutter and were already eyeing their partner before Mr. Yelchin could even finish what he was saying. "Settle down! I'm picking your partners. I chose them based on your grade in this class."

I slid down in my seat. There was a good chance I had the lowest grade in this class. Being an A student in every class except English was straight up embarrassing. My dad doesn't even speak English that well and he knew all the classics better than I did and he's lived in America for 17 years. His Chinese accent was still thick and hard to understand if you didn't know him very well.

"So our first pairing is Laney and Nora. You can be seated next to your partner," Mr. Yelchin indicated the desk right in the front row but it wasn't sitting in the front that bothered me.

It was the fact that I was paired with Nora that nearly made me die on the spot. Of all people I could've been paired with and I got stuck with her.

Nora the Nerd.

A little back story on Nora: she was the school's least popular person and for good reason too. Not only did she dress a little strange (jeans under a knee length skirt with graphic tees under cardigans. Her large framed glasses didn't help her case either) but she was predominantly known for being the biggest Harry Potter fan ever. Her locker was filled with photos from the movies, little trinkets from the wizarding world and other things that I wouldn't be able to name off at the top of my head.

I remember last Halloween when she came to school done up looking like that guy with no nose whose name I can't remember. Her makeup was really good. Professional good. But yet everyone laughed at her because she wasn't dressed like a slutty bunny like how most of the girls here were dressed as to attract attention. Nora attracted attention. Just not in a good way.

Nora took her seat beside me in the front of the room, a wide smile on her face. "Hiya partner! Who would've thought we'd be paired up, huh?"

I said nothing. The class had gone deadly silent and all eyes were suddenly on us as she placed her books on the desk beside me. She had a lot of books with her. Most of them weren't even books we were covering in this class. Or any other class for that matter.

"I'm Nora. I don't believe we've ever spoken to each other before," she said, still smiling, "but that's okay. We'll have lots of time for that eventually. I can't wait to work with you!"

I almost told her that there was a reason why I never ever talk to her but I bit my lip to keep my mouth shut.

She spoke again just as Yelchin was giving out the other group pairings. "I know that this isn't your ideal pairing but I really do think we can get an easy A here if we put our mind to it. What do you say, partner?"

Thankfully, Yelchin spoke up and gave out the last of the group pairings. "Remember that you can use any book you want. Agree on a book and write a report for it-and don't forget to spice it up with something interesting! It's due at the end of the year!" He called out over the sound of the bell ringing.

I've never left a class so fast in my entire life. Whispers had surrounded me as soon as I raced down the hallway to my locker. It wouldn't surprise me if the entire school knew that I, renowned loner Laney Rubia, was paired with the Potterhead. Goodbye reputation. Or what little of one I had.

Opening my locker, I grabbed my books for my next class. A few lockers down I could hear snickers and turned to see your cliché cheerleaders looking my way and whispering to each other. They were usually the first to hear a rumor and spread it like wildfire.

For someone like myself who wasn't used to this kind of attention, I couldn't let it get to my head. It was weird. My light blue hair and punk style stuck out like a sore thumb in a crowd but no one's ever commented on it. Not until now, anyway. People pressed sticky notes onto my locker with names like "Blue's Clues" or "Twenty One Pilots" written on them (on another note, how is TØP even an insult? I love them).

"Hi partner!" A painstakingly familiar voice sang out. I didn't even have to look to know that it was Nora as she headed towards me. I tried to rush with getting my books but for someone who wore layers upon layers of clothes, she moved fast.

"Nora the Nerd!" Someone called out. The crowd around us laughed and to my surprise, so did Nora. She brushed off the names like it was dust on her sleeve.

"That's me!" She said cheerfully. "It's nice that people acknowledge me for who I really am. Wouldn't want to be something I'm not!" She stopped by my locker with a broad smile on her face. "Laney! I was wondering if you had lunch plans? Maybe we can talk more about our English project?"

"Uh," I fumbled for an excuse but my brain was fried. I never was good with words. "I usually eat outside in the dugout. You wouldn't want to eat there. Bugs and stuff."

She laughed at this. "Bugs are one of God's many creatures. They don't bother me at all. How about we meet each other there later? We can make a list of books and agree on one?"

Thanks but no thanks I almost said to her face but my brother's voice echoed in my head about treating others with kindness when they're being kind to you. "Sure. I'll meet you there. Just don't tell anyone where we're going or what we're doing."

She beamed, black rimmed glasses falling down her nose a little. "Okay! Lunch time it is. I have a couple of sample books in my bag if you want to check them out for yourself. Briefly read a page or two to get a taste for it." The warning bell rang and she waved to me. "See you at lunch, partner!"

She raced off down the hall, her weird old lady shoes clicking on the linoleum floor. Closing my eyes for a moment, I opened them up to see one final student closing their locker door. He caught me looking at him, surprised at first. He might've nodded his head in a friendly gesture but his eyes looked almost as if they were saying "I'm sorry" as he turned and headed towards his next class.

Me too, buddy. Me too.
__________________________

Hello lovely readers! Welcome to my first serious novel/book/story. I hope you enjoy the ride I have in store for you. It's going to be a wild one.

If you like what you see, leave a comment and let me know what you think and how I can make this story better! Don't forget to vote and share this story as well!