The Nerd and The Jock - LT Fanfic

22: When Bae Holds You Back

22: When Bae Holds You Back

After that day, the days passed by fast. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Each day blurred into another, and as it went the cycle between going to school, hanging out with Blaze, and going to his soccer games became a well developed one. Socially, I was changing. But this didn't only apply to me. This applied to my best friends, too.

Candice seemed to invest more of her time hanging out with the jocks. I watched her progress from talking exclusively with Sharon and I, to talking mostly with Blaze's friends. The jocks also seemed to prefer her over each other, and it was sometimes really funny to see them vying for her attention. It was like she was the new Blaze.

I wondered, as the days went, about her and Beast. While I knew she enjoyed popularity with the jocks, I could only wonder if anything happened between them. Were they together? Did that ship sail at all? I didn't know. I was too chicken to ask her.

Meanwhile Sharon opted to spend her time with the cheer captain she'd met at the soccer game. While Candice made many more acquaintances, Sharon made a new best friend. Her and Melanie -- that was the name of her new friend, Melanie Gonzalez, the gorgeous blonde cheerleader -- were always seen together, hanging out. They reminded me of me and Blaze, and sometimes that song sang in my head whenever I saw them: Candice and Melanie, sitting in the tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G...

And me? Well, I made up for homework I didn't turn in, that's for sure. Learned to juggle going to Blaze's home games and completing my work on time. And Vanessa kept her distance. After she harassed me that one day in hall, she didn't dare do it again. I like to think that she grew out of antagonizing me. In fact, I'm certain of it.

The story behind her not bullying me anymore all has to do with that day. The day I stormed out of class and had Blaze chasing after me.

After Blaze and me talked in the hall we walked, hand-in-hand, to lunch. When we finally got to the cafeteria, we joined our friends. Blaze and I picked up on their conversation pretty easily. They were talking about where they should hang out together after school.

"I say we go to Ferguson," said one of them. He was referring to our local park.

"I like that," someone said, and a few others nodded.

But Sharon pursed her lips. "Can't we just hang out in the stadium?"

"The stadium?" asked Melanie.

"Yeah, where we watched the soccer game last night. We could hang out there."

"I'm up for anything," Candice offered, when everyone seemed to be considering. Then she looked over, saw me, and smiled. "Hey Mara, what do you think?"

"I say Ferguson. It's just outside my house, practically. Blaze?"

"Ferguson," he said, shrugging.

So we all decided to hang at the park. Sharon looked disappointed. And I was about to try and cheer her up, but Melanie beat me to it. In fact, she more than beat me -- Melanie put an arm around Sharon, and leaned her head on Sharon's shoulder. Surprise found me when Sharon blushed. She sincerely, genuinely blushed, her eyes lowering and her mouth lifting into a smile. I remember being taken aback. What was that about?

Shay looked up and saw me staring at her in wonder. She looked embarrassed, as if I caught her doing something she shouldn't have been. Weirdly, I found my cheeks warming too -- whether it was because she was embarrassed or because I felt I was witnessing something private, I didn't know. All I knew was, something suddenly caught her attention while she was looking my way.

I knew this because her expression changed entirely; her sheepish look turned alert. She was fixated on something -- or someone -- behind me.

"TEMARA--" she began, but was too late.