I have a crush on the dork

who wouldn't be happy to have Ava McQueen interacting with them?

The bus ride is filled with hordes of people fawning over me.

" Oh Ava, are you okay?" Some girl from my math class says. I nod, pouting out my lower lip.

" Aw, Ava I heard what happened. I'm so sorry." A random kid tells me.

" He's such a jerk! He didn't deserve you." Someone else says. I grin, soaking up their love. When we get too Brandon's stop, he hobbles out, looking like a mess. He climbs onto the bus, and everyone stops talking. Brandon looks so sad as he realizes what is going on. He tries to sit in the back with his friends, but they cringe.

" Sorry bro, no homo here." One says, and I almost feel sorry for Brandon, but I shake it away. Kids burst out laughing at this statement. I chuckle. Brandon looks at me, and I smile at him. He takes this as me forgiving him, because he sighs, and clambers over too me, plopping down in the seat next to me.

" Ava? I'm so sorry, please take me back." Brandon pleads, and I can tell he truly means it. I eye a boy named Ethan for my escape.

" Sorry Brandon, you're just too much for me." I say, quoting him. Brandon shudders as I stand up, walking over to Ethan. I hug him, and play with his hair. Ethan is shaking with excitement. I mean, who wouldn't be happy to have Ava McQueen interacting with them?

When the bus rolls up in front of our school, and Brandon runs off first. Everyone looks at each other and laughs. I walk out of the bus, feeling as good as ever, when I spot the jerk nerd who dissed me earlier. He walks right by me, and I catch not a whiff of cologne, like most boys have. I eye the back of his shiney hair has he bounces across the hall too talk to his other nerdy friends. They all pull out rubik's cubes and proceed to solve them. Yawn, why am I even bothering with him?

I pull open my locker, grabbing my lipstick from the cubby in the back. I slide it over my bottom lip, smacking them together.

" Ava?" A voice says over my shoulder. Peeking over my shoulder, I see Ethan.

" Yes Ethan?" I say impatiently, my hand on my hip. Ethan blushes, and pulls something out from his back pocket. It's a crumpled daisy, obviously picked from the bushes in the front of the school.

" Umm, I was wondering--" He begins to say, but I sigh, putting a hand up too stop him.

" No, I won't go on a date with you." I say. Ethan's eyebrows pull together in frustration.

" Please, Ava I've liked you forever, and how you treated me on the bus was amazing." He says, putting both arms on my sides, blocking my escape.

" Look, Ethan. I dont like you. It was a show." I say, trying to wiggle free. Ethan learns dreadfully closer, and I cringe away. This cannot be happening.

" But I dont this this is a show." He leans even closer, and kisses me, wrapping his arms around me. I try to escape, thrashing against his arms. Ethan doesn't get a clue. The bell rings and students shuffle past. Soon the halls are empty. Ethan grabs my thigh pulling it up around his waist. I bang my head against the locker trying to get away. My eyes search for somebody, anybody to get this creep off of me. Finally a kid walks out of a classroom, and opens his locker. I recognize him as the rude nerd. He makes eye contact with me, and I mumble protests. He ignores it, but when I start to bang my fist on the sides of the lockers, he finally gets the clue.

" Hey! Get off her!" The kid calls, his pale face turning pink. When Ethan doesn't give up, he walks over to us and rips him off of me. I gasp for breath. For a thin kid, he is really strong. I glare at Ethan, fixing my mused hair. Ethan's eyes widen at the realization of what he did. He scampers off, leaving me in the hall with the nerd.

" Thanks! You saved me." I say, giving the kid a genuine smile. He frowns at me.

" Oh. Now you talk too me?" He says. I frown too.

" Look, i'm sorry." I say. I'm lying. Seriously, if someone saw me now.....

" Sure. Anyway, I'm Joshua." He says, staring deep into my eyes with his blue blue blue ones. I gulp.

" I'm Ava." I say. Joshua turns to walk back to his class.

" I think everyone knows that." He says, leaving me alone in that empty hall.