Nerds

What is She Doing Here

(Stella's PoV)

I was curled up in a ball on my bathroom floor, crying. I was having a panic attack. I couldn't go back to that horrible school. I couldn't take the torture of the next 9 months. No matter how hard I tried I could never stop the constant ridiculing from the so-called-popular-kids.

No matter what I did I always got made fun of. First I was too fat, now I'm too skinny. First I was too weird now I'm too boring. I was too outgoing and now I've become too awkward.

My phone buzzed. It was a text from Leslie.
- b there in 5

Crap. I quickly jumped up and changed clothes. I tried to put on makeup to hide my puffy red eyes that gave away that I had been crying, but it didn't work well. I grabbed all my school stuff and walked down my driveway. I stood by the mailbox for less than 30 seconds before I saw Jace's car pull up.

I was shocked at the person I saw sitting in the back seat. Kate Kalls.

What is she doing here. I don't wanna sit next to her on my already stressful ride to school. She and her group have been making my life miserable since middle school. Sheb is the last person I want to be anywhere near right now.

Reluctantly, I got in the car.

"Hi Stella." Kate said.

"Hi Kate." I said. Since I didn't want to be rude, I decided not to openly protest her presence. I just texted Leslie.

-why is Kate here???

_she needed a ride

- why did we give her one

_to b nice nd help her out

- she has made our lives miserable for years. Why r we helping her

_ik but she's having a hard time right now

-she's made my life one big hard time

_i know but we're just gonna have to suck it up and be nice

-fine

I wasn't happy about having to share my ride to my first day of senior year, but I guess Leslie was right.

I always wished that I was more like her. She was so pretty and smart and funny. She was kind and forgiving. She's one of my best friends and we get along really well, but I was always jealous of how perfect she was. It actually surprised me that she wasn't popular. She could be. She could be just as perfect as any of those girls who have everything. Sometimes I wonder why she's a loser like us.

After a couple of minutes we pulled up in from of Joey's house, but he wasn't standing at the end of the driveway like usual. Jace honked the horn repeatedly until Joey finally came outside.

Making room for joey, I reluctantly scooted over and sat uncomfortably close to Kate. Joey didn't seem happy that Kate was in the car, and unlike me, he wasn't too quiet about it....

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(Joey's PoV)

"Joey!!!! Wake up you've gotta go to school!!!" I heard my grandma yell through my bedroom door.

"I'll be up in a minute." I groaned.

"Joey....." She started in English but they started yelling in Portuguese.

"English Nanna!" I replied.

"Wake up Because if you're late I'm not gonna take you to school!!! You'll be walking!!!"

I got up out of bed and opened the door. I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth. In the middle of brushing my teeth I heard a car horn honking over and over again.