Nerd in Leather

Chapter 3

I end up outside instead of the library. I just sit underneath a tree staring at the tattoo on my wrist. My hands were large for a junior I guess, but I was also very tall. I was on the brink of six foot six. But I was still six foot five. I was one of the tallest kids in the school! The basketball coach was always trying to get me to play, but I always wanted to do swimming. My parents wanted me to always get good grades, so after they died, I devoted to my studies.

Maggie says I need to get out more. I'm so caught up in thinking, I don't even realize a person walking towards me until they are standing over me. Barely.

"I didn't mean to upset you." She says with a slight pout on her full lips.

"No, it's fi- wait, do you actually care about people?" I say, my signature smirk playing across my lips.

She looks down at her combat boots, trying to cover up an obvious blush. She moves her heals so that her toes are facing each other. She bites her lips and mutters "Not really."

I reach my hand up and grab her tiny fingers. Her hands are so small compared to mine. I don't really think about what I'm doing until my fingers hit hers and electricity is bolted through my body.

"Ow!" I grab my fingers and hold them to my chest in mock hurt. "You shocked me!" She just laughs and grabs my fingers again. She sits cross-legged next to me in the shade. She starts to fiddle with her laces and I can't help but try and think of a complement.

"I-uh-I... I like your feet." I mentally slap myself as she laughs and looks me in the eyes. I notice how they are grey around the rim and green near the center. There are little brown specks around the middle, and I feel like they match her freckles.

The bell rings to signify the end of lunch and she retracts her hand from mine and runs back inside, saying nothing.

Boy do I feel like an idiot!

~~~

Mikki avoided me for the rest of the day, not that I blame her. I'm pretty sure she has a crush on Jackson. Anyway, she made out with him at lunch.

I'm so caught up in my thoughts of Mikki that I don't even hear the bell to ring for the signal to end class. Lane comes up and hits me on the back playfully. My elbows that were resting on the desk loose balance and I hit my head. He breaks out into a fit of laughter.

"I didn't even know you were in this class." I mumble loud enough for him to hear.

"Yeah, it's odd being in a class with Mikki, but I guess her being a year ahead in everything will do that to an older brother." He sighs like a mother would sigh when her kid was off to kindergarten.

"Woah, woah, woah! She's your sister?!" My mouth is now hanging open and Lane just laughs again.

"Technically yes. She and her sister, Abby, were adopted to my family after their parents left them." He says with little emotion.

"Their parents left them?" I ask dumbfounded. How could someone just up and leave their kids?

"Mikki doesn't really like people talking about this, so when the times right, you ask her." And with that he left the room. I got up and grabbed my stuff and headed to my locker. Mikki was at her locker next to mine with her head down. She was messing with something in her locker when tons of stuff fell out. Mostly books and pens but a couple ripped pieces of paper. I rush over to help her with her stuff.

"Thank y-" she looks up at me and stops mid-sentence and her eyes go wide at the sight of me.

"Look," I start before she can say anything. Her mouth closes and she nods for me to continue. "I'd rather not be enemies, so can we at least be friends. I know what happened today-"

"It's fine." She cut me off. "Let's just start over.

She put her hand out for me to shake and I took it.

"The names Mikki." She said as she began to shake our intertwined hands.

"Nate. Nice to meet you." I say and smile. I had a new friend, I just hoped I could keep this one.