Nerd Squared [COMPLETE]

4 || First Dates

I watched Ellie nervously pace around my room.

"You honestly let your mom wash the shirt? You should know it'll shrink oh my GOD Charlotte!" She was having a breakdown over my shrunken shirt.

"Can I just wear something else? Or better yet, not go!" I smiled wide, hoping to win her over.

"Give the damn kid a chance. I think I have a shirt in my car, stay here. I swear to.." Her voice faded off as she stormed out of my room. I rolled my eyes and flopped back onto my bed. The posters hung to my ceiling stared back at me.

Ever since I was young I had made my own posters of famous composers and players, Yo-Yo Ma hung directly above my bed, Bach was to the left, other faces were hung around the room, there was little space left on my walls.

Ellie was quick to return, a baby blue shirt in her hand.

"This should fit. Don't wash it before you return it." She said, sarcasm in her voice.

"Will- won't do." I replied. She threw the shirt at me, and turned to her bag on my desk.

"I'll be like two minutes to get changed, I'll be in the bathroom." She picked up her bag and left my room again. I pulled off my old Iron Man shirt and replaced it with the blue shirt Ellie had thrown at me moments before. I pulled on the skinny jeans and jacket, along with the boots and hat.

"Aww, my little princess." Ellie reappeared at my door, her hair up in a bun and a soft green dress clinging to her body.

"Can we get this over with now?" I ask, this was not my choice of Saturday evening activities. I'd much rather be watching TV, or practicing music, not going out with some boy.

"Fine fine, let's go." Ellie rolled her eyes at me, and I followed her out of the room.

We pulled up to Phoebe's fifteen minutes early. Damn Ellie for being so punctual.

"We'll let's go." Ellie opens the driver's side door and steps out of her car.

"We're way early, isn't that weird?" I groaned as Ellie motioned for me to follow her.

Reluctantly I got out of the car and followed Ellie into the building. The familiar environment and noise was comforting in this new situation. I could hear Arnie singing along to the radio in the kitchen, and Alice was busing a table in the corner.

Carly was standing behind the register, and greeted us as we came in.

"Hey Ellie, Riley's over by the window. Oh- Hi Lottie!" I nodded at her, and followed Ellie to the booth Riley was in.

"Kill me." I muttered as I sat down on the inside of the booth, next to Ellie, across from Riley. "I could've been watching Dexter  Ellie, you owe me." She smiles, and I turn to the window, tapping out an indistinguishable rhythm with my fingers.

A few minutes later Collin shows up and looks around the shop. Riley waves him over and he slides into the booth.

"Didn't know I was late." He smiled nervously.

"If you're on time you're late, if you're early you're on time." Ellie recites her motto, she was going to make it in Hollywood.

"Sound's good.." Collin smiles at her a little more confidently "Hello- Charlotte." I nod in his direction and watch Carly make her way over to our table.

"Hello guys, Charlotte, Ellie." She smiles and pulls out her notepad. "What can I get for ya today?"

"I'll have a mint latte, he'll have a-" "Dr. Pepper." Riley finishes her sentence. Carly nods.

"I'll have Sprite." I answer, and Collin orders himself a Pepsi. As Carly walks away, a silence settles over the table.

"So- what do you guys do for fun?" Collin asks what seems like the most obvious question in the world.

"Well obviously football, baseball, and uh I guess sports?" Riley is unsure of himself and I find it generally hilarious.

"I cheer lead, I volunteer at the Food Bank, sing.." Ellie, the obvious angel of a friend gives her answer, and I'm last.

"I do music I guess? I mean that's basically all I do, other than watch the X-Files with El." My answer is short and sweet, its all I really do to be fair.

"Oh fun, I guess I knew about Riley and Ellie, obviously." Ellie laughs. "But I've honestly never known much about you Charlotte."

"Well I'm a music kid, and I'm lazy, that's basically me."

"How music-ey?"

"Very music-ey-ey."

Collin raises and eyebrow and nods.

"Seems legit."

"She's a prodigy-" I slapped a hand over Ellie's mouth.

"And you're a dead man walking. You know you aren't supposed to mention that." Collin laughed, and the rest of the dinner went by without a hitch.

Riley was paying the tab, and Ellie was watching me.

"Are you ready to bowl?" Ellie's voice was way to happy to be real.

"If you're ready to get crushed." I muttered back at her. Collin laughed, and Riley looked at me funny, I was actually okay at bowling.

We walked out of the bowling ally, laughing our heads off. Well, me and Ellie did, Collin and Riley were sulking from the embarrassing loss.

"Well that was fun, if not painful." Collin was still laughing when he spoke.

"Yea it was." I smiled, and watched Riley kiss Ellie goodnight and head off to his car. Ellie smiled at me and got into her own car.

"Looks like she's ready to leave," I laugh nervously.

"I guess so."

"Well, uh, bye."

"Wait." Collin called as I began to walk around Ellie's car.

"Hrm?" I looked over at him, still standing on the sidewalk in front of the bowling alley.

"Can I see you again?" He was nervous, it was obvious in his strained voice.

This hadn't been so bad, I figured I could miss another night of binge watching Dexter.

"Sure. I'd like that." Collin's face lit up like a kid on Christmas, and I waved at him.

"Bye Charlotte!" He called, and I pulled the passenger door closed behind me.

- - -
a.n.
sorry this is 1k short, I've been preoccupied lately. Hopefully I can get some chapters pre-written during the week. i finished this in the Medford Airport soooo yea. Don't forget to...
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c.h.