The Nerd [BXB]

9 𖠇 The Secret Life of Oscar

   A voice calls for me after Oscar walks away, "Theo!"

   I grin, watching Harvey jog my way. "Hello, stranger."

He smiles, panting once he is standing right in front of me. "I was hoping to catch you before you left, stranger," he says. "I want to propose something."

I tilt my head to the side and grip my backpack's shoulder straps. "Go ahead."

"How about me and you go watch a movie tonight?" he offers. "The theatre is mostly empty on Fridays so we can have all the place to ourselves. Besides, I have a game on Saturday that is likely to last 'till night."

I instantly hype up, but then remember that I have to go to Oscar's to finish our project. "What time?"

"Well," he says, "what movie would you like to see?"

"Wish one is the last one?" I ask.

"A horror one," he replies, raising an eyebrow. "Are you going to be busy?"

I scratch the back of my ear. "I have to finish an assignment with Oscar tonight."

He raises both eyebrows. "At night?"

I nod. "That is when he is out of work."

"Hmm." He looks up. "Oscar Ashford?"

   I nod again.

   "I thought he was expelled," he says. "Anyway, if the theatre is closed by the time you two finish, we can watch a movie at my house."

   "That sounds perfect, Harvey."

   Before he can say something, some guy amongst a group of other boys wearing the same letterman jacket as his call for him. "Dude," he says, "are you coming?"

   "I'll be there in a sec," he yells back. His eyes rest on me once again. "I have to go."

   "Go ahead," I say. "My mom must already be waiting for me anyway."

   "See you tonight then," he says before catching up with his friends.

   Once he is gone, I turn around and spot my mother's car quickly. She waves at me as if I had not seen her.

   "New friend?" she asks as soon as I hop inside the car.

   I throw my bag in the backseat. "Nope."

   He gives me a quick glance before driving away from the school property. "Boyfriend?"

   I chuckle while shaking my head. "We'll see, mom," I say, shrugging. "No promises just yet."

𖣔

   I walk up to the green trailer with a grassy front lawn decorated with porcelain gnomes. Before knocking on its door, I check the direction Oscar sent me one more time. Once I am sure this is his home, I raise my fist.

   "You're early," his voice greets me from behind before I can knock. He steps into the front yard wearing a green shirt with black pants.

"We actually do not live far," I say.

He takes his keys out and begins to unlock the door. "No one on this small town lives far from one another."

"You have a point."

He pushes the door open.

"Where do you work?" I ask as he opens the door for me before he follows behind me.

"I have many jobs," he responds, closing the door behind him. "I just finished my bowling alley shift."

"Oh," I say, "cool."

There is a round, wooden table with a bowl of fruit in the middle which he walks to, dropping his keys on it. At the sound of the rattling keys, a door opens from the short corridor ahead of me where a little girl, maybe four, runs out. Her dark curls jump over her shoulders as she wraps her arms around Oscar.

"Hey!" he says, grinning wide as he picks her on his arms.

I smile, watching him tuck her bangs behind her ear. "This is your sister?"

He looks at me. "This is my daughter."

My mouth slightly opens, but I remain silent.

"How is daddy's little princess?" he asks, connecting his forehead with hers.

She giggles, looking up at him with the same sapphire blue eyes as his father.

   He glances at the stove's clock, almost midnight. "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

   "Not tired," she says in a soft voice. "But Nana was."

   He chuckles. "Of course grandma was tired." He gives her a peck on the cheek and lets her down. "She must've been chasing you all day, little lady."

   The little girl finally notices me, nearing her father in fear of the stranger. She looks up at him as he rests a hand on her head. "This is Theo," he introduces me. "A friend."

   I give her an awkward wave. "Hi."

   "Her name is Allison," he says, caressing her hair.

   "Hello, Allison," I say to her. "Nice meeting you."

   She tilts her head to the side. "Why are your glasses so big?"

   Oscar's eyes widen.

   I release a quick laugh. "That is what happens when you watch too much TV."

   "I don't watch TV," she lets me know. "I play with my iPad."

   Right. Youngsters nowadays play more with their electronic devices than watch television.

   "Go to sleep now, Al," Oscar says.

   She listens to his words, heading back to the room she burst out of.

   "You have a beautiful daughter," I let him know, still bemused by the fact that he has a kid.

   "Of course I do," he says, smiling. "She has my genes."

   I roll my eyes before chuckling.

   "Want to start working on my room?" he offers, pointing at the corridor.

   "Sure," I reply, following him to his room.